Bipolar Disorder Misdiagnosed as Depression
Bipolar Disorder Misdiagnosed as Depression
Researchers Pinpoint 5 Factors That Can Help Improve Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
About 29% of the patients in the study were determined to have bipolar disorder, Swanson says.
Using the DSM-IV, the bible for psychiatric diagnoses, 31% fulfilled criteria for bipolar disorder.
And using new criteria that takes into the five risk factors proposed by Swanson, 47% had bipolar disorder.
"Our findings suggest that about one-third of people with major depression have [undiagnosed bipolar disorder]," Swanson says. "Currently patients have to have elevated mood or irritability before we can even consider a diagnosis of bipolar disease. Our findings suggest that may not always be the case."
"This is an excellent study that is clinically useful, giving us information we can use right away," Hilty says.
"It's really important that we understand predictors of bipolar disorder as it is still underdiagnsoed as regular depression, he tells WebMD.
This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.
Bipolar Disorder Misdiagnosed as Depression
Researchers Pinpoint 5 Factors That Can Help Improve Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
5 Factors Associated With Bipolar Disorder continued...
About 29% of the patients in the study were determined to have bipolar disorder, Swanson says.
Using the DSM-IV, the bible for psychiatric diagnoses, 31% fulfilled criteria for bipolar disorder.
And using new criteria that takes into the five risk factors proposed by Swanson, 47% had bipolar disorder.
"Our findings suggest that about one-third of people with major depression have [undiagnosed bipolar disorder]," Swanson says. "Currently patients have to have elevated mood or irritability before we can even consider a diagnosis of bipolar disease. Our findings suggest that may not always be the case."
"This is an excellent study that is clinically useful, giving us information we can use right away," Hilty says.
"It's really important that we understand predictors of bipolar disorder as it is still underdiagnsoed as regular depression, he tells WebMD.
This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.
Source...