Results from a landmark nationwide
study published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
show that three times as many people may suffer from bipolar disorder,
also known as manic depression, than previously believed.  In addition,
the survey results from more than 85,000 Americans indicate that up to
80 percent of those who screened positive had not been diagnosed with the
illness and nearly one third had been misdiagnosed with major depression-underscoring the need for early detection and accurate diagnosis.

   "These groundbreaking results demonstrate that bipolar disorder is frequent and often unrecognized," said Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, M.D., Titus Harris Chair, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.  "While previous studies reported a prevalence of approximately 1 percent of the American population or 2.3 million Americans, these results suggest that the illness affects millions-nearly 4 percent of adult Americans.  These data clearly demonstrate the magnitude of under- and misdiagnosis of this serious illness and beg for improved screening for this illness."

   Data from this study show that bipolar disorder may be most prevalent among young adults (ages 18-24) and those with lower incomes.
   The study also demonstrated the profound impact that bipolar disorder
has on the lives of affected patients.  People who screened positive for
bipolar disorder reported significant alcohol or drug abuse (19 percent).
In addition, positive respondents suffered from significantly higher rates
of co-morbid health conditions such as allergies, asthma and migraine.

   "Bipolar disorder is a serious, lifelong illness that when left untreated can worsen, with patients experiencing a greater frequency of events," noted Lydia Lewis, executive director, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. "As bipolar disorder can cause noticeable disruptions in patients' lives and put them at risk for life- threatening events such as drug and alcohol abuse and sadly, suicide, the results from this study underscore the need for early identification and accurate diagnosis, which would enable patients to manage the illness and live more productive lives.  The MDQ is a useful clinical tool for this purpose."

   This national study was designed to assess the prevalence and impact
of bipolar disorder in the United States.  The Mood Disorder Questionnaire
(MDQ) -- a validated screening tool for bipolar disorder -- was mailed
to 127,800 U.S. adults with a 67 percent (85,358 returns) rate of response.
The survey was distributed to a representative sample of adults, balanced
to match the 2000 U.S. Census data for age, gender, region, market size
and household income.  A positive MDQ screen was defined as recognition
of seven or more out of 13 bipolar symptoms plus co-occurrence of at least
two symptoms and patient-rated assessment of moderate or serious degree
of functional impairment due to symptoms.

   About Bipolar Disorder

   Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a lifelong,
potentially fatal illness often characterized by distressing and disruptive
mood swings from high (manic) to low (depressed) states.  If manic and
depressive symptoms overlap for a period of time, this state is called
a "mixed" episode.  There are two types of bipolar disorder.  With bipolar
I disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania;
in bipolar II disorder, a person experiences hypomania (a milder form of
mania with less severe symptoms) and depression.  The present study screened
for the prevalence of bipolar I and II disorders.

   The most serious risk of bipolar disorder is suicide, which is usually
associated with the depressive and mixed episodes.  Early identification
of potential patients using screening instruments like the MDQ may help
prevent this deadly consequence.

   About the University of Texas Medical Branch

   Founded in 1891, UTMB is a major academic health center with Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences and Graduate Biomedical Sciences, as well as an Institute for the Medical Humanities and a Marine Biomedical Institute. Through its six hospitals that include a Level 1 Trauma Center and an extensive network of campus- and community-based clinics, the university provides a full range of primary and specialized medical care. An international leader in telemedicine, UTMB provides the medical expertise of its specialists to those in remote areas, including National Science Foundation researchers and support personnel in Antarctica, who would otherwise be unable to access this level of care. UTMB is also home to internationally renowned research programs, including the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development.
   This study was supported by GlaxoSmithKline.  SOURCE  University of
Texas Medical Branch at Galveston






 

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