Bipolar Disorder
Depression is the dominant, most disabling pole in bipolar disorder, with a high suicide risk.
Treatment at a glance
- Mania: an antipsychotic ± lithium or valproate
- Maintenance: lithium
What our notes say
- Depression is the dominant, most disabling pole in bipolar disorder, with a high suicide risk. (Bipolar and Related Disorders)
- Primary bipolar disorder: the mood disorder is the diagnosis (no direct physiological cause); onset usually late teens to 30s; family history. (Bipolar and Related Disorders)
- A history of bipolar disorder is the strongest risk factor, and a first baby, complications and being single add to it. (Psychiatry Year 4 CAT: June 2023, schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders and )
- To guide treatment: the diagnosis points to evidence-based options (for example lithium for bipolar disorder, SSRIs plus CBT for depression). (Classification of Mental Disorders)
- The classic mood stabiliser for bipolar disorder (prevention and mania). (Introduction to Psychopharmacology)
- A woman with bipolar disorder who may become pregnant needs a mood stabiliser. (Introduction to Psychopharmacology)