Citation

Fang YR, Wang ZW. Shanghai Arch. Psychiatry 2011; 23(1): 12-16.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Shanghai Mental Health Center)

DOI

10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2011.01.004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Compared to patients with depressive disorders, those with bipolar disorders have a more complex clinical presentation and course, a greater risk for treatment non-response, a poorer prognosis and an increased risk of suicide. The reported prevalence of the full spectrum of bipolar disorders is 6% but the rates of recognition and treatment around the world are very low, particularly in China. Clinicians need to become more familiar with the "soft" signs of bipolar spectrum disorders including hypomania, and they need to be better at discriminating bipolar depression from unipolar depression, at identifying patients with other primary disorders who have comorbid bipolar disorders, and at providing the maintenance treatment needed to prevent relapse in patients with bipolar disorders. Clinical research about bipolar spectrum disorders needs to effectively integrate psychological and biological approaches. Copyright © 2011 by Editorial Department of Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry.

Language: zh

Keywords

Comorbidity; Bipolar Disorder; Bipolar Depression; Clinical Phenomenology