Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects a person’s mood, energy, activity and thought and is characterized by manic (or hypomanic) and depressive episodes.
An estimated 40 million people live with bipolar disorder worldwide.
Bipolar disorder is associated with significant disability and difficulties in many areas of life.
Many people with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed or untreated and experience discrimination and stigma.
There are a range of effective care options, which combine medicines and psychosocial interventions to help people with bipolar disorder stay well.
Overview
In 2019, approximately 1 in 150 adults (40 million people, or 0.53% of the global population) were living with bipolar disorder (1). The condition is primarily observed among working-age people, but also in youth. While the prevalence of bipolar disorder among men and women is approximately equal, available data indicate that women are more often diagnosed.
Worldwide, the treatment coverage for people with bipolar disorder is low. Both men and women are often misdiagnosed. Many lack access to services and recommended interventions, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Stigma and discrimination against people with bipolar disorder are widespread, both in communities and health services. This can undermine access to health care. It also fuels social exclusion and can limit opportunities for education, employment and housing.
Bipolar disorder is one of the leading causes of disability globally as it can affect many areas of life. People with bipolar disorder may experience strained relationships, problems at school or work, and difficulties in carrying out daily activities. Having bipolar disorder also increases the risk of suicide and of developing anxiety and substance use disorders.
People with bipolar disorder are more likely to smoke, use alcohol, have a physical health condition (e.g. cardiovascular or respiratory disease), and experience difficulties in accessing health care. On average, people with bipolar disorder die more than 10 years earlier than the general population
Symptoms and patterns
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by mood swings from one extreme to another.
During a manic episode, a person experiences an extremely high mood with lots of energy (feeling very happy, excited, overactive). They may have a sense of euphoria, sudden shifts in mood or an excess of emotion (uncontrollable laughing or feeling much more irritable, agitated or restless than usual).
In manic episodes, the changes in mood and activities are accompanied by other characteristic symptoms, which may include:
highly inflated sense of self-worth or self-esteem;
talking quickly and rapidly shifting from one idea to the next;
having trouble concentrating and being easily distracted;
decreased need for sleep;
reckless or risk-taking behaviour, for example overspending, risky sexual activity, drinking, or harming oneself or others; and
fixed and mistaken grandiose or persecutory beliefs in something untrue (e.g. “I am a very famous person”, “My neighbour is spying on me”).
On the contrary, during a depressive episode, a person experiences a depressed mood (feeling sad, irritable, empty). They may feel a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that they had previously enjoyed.
Other symptoms are also present, which may include:
poor concentration
feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth
hopelessness about the future
thoughts about dying or suicide
disrupted sleep
changes in appetite or weight
feeling very tired or low in energy.
A depressive episode is different from mood fluctuations commonly experienced by most people, in that the symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
Know more by visiting the source World Health Organization WHO website
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