Bipolar spectrum disorder

Abstract

This chapter reviews the World Mental Health (WMH) data on bipolar spectrum disorder. We define bipolar spectrum disorder as either bipolar I (BP-I) disorder, bipolar II disorder (BP-II), or subthreshold bipolar disorder (BPD). WMH respondents were classified as having a history of BP-I disorder if they met lifetime DSM-IV/CIDI criteria for a manic episode (at least seven days of either elevated mood in addition to three or more other symptoms of mania or of irritable mood in addition to four or more other symptoms of mania, the symptoms resulting in either marked impairment or need for hospitalization). Respondents were classified as having a history of BP-II if they met lifetime DSM-IV/CIDI criteria for both a major depressive episode and a hypomanie episode (at least four days with the same symptoms as those for BP-I, the symptoms being present to a significant degree but not resulting in marked impairment and never had a lifetime manic episode). The DSM-IV requirement that symptoms do not meet criteria for a mixed episode (DSM-IV Criterion C for mania/ hypomania and Criterion B for major depressive episode) was not operationalized in making these diagnoses. Diagnoses of both BP-I and BP-II excluded cases with plausible organic causes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)