The Boundaries of Bipolarity: Comments on the Epidemiology of Bipolar Disorder.

The review of epidemiological studies of Bipolar Disorder (Merikangas & Pato, 2009) raises a challenging question: How subtle should be the approach to Bipolar Disorders? Research has accumulated clearly favoring the presence of “Bipolarity” beyond the classical manic-depressive Psychosis. Hypomanic and manic symptoms are increasingly documented in seemingly “Unipolar” patients, and this is affecting the approach to the conceptualization of this disorder, its treatment, and the search for its etiologies. Refined instruments and longitudinal studies provide a fascinating database that will intensify the discussions about the boundaries of the Bipolar spectrum. Issues facing children and adolescents, adults, and persons of old age are considered.
Reference: Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 16(2), 134-139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01153.x
Keywords: Bipolar Disorder,Boundaries,Definitions,Unipolar

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