Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar disorders fall into two categories, Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. According to the DSM-5 (2013), “for a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder, it is necessary to meet the following criteria for a manic episode. The manic episode may have been preceded by and may be followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes” (p. 123). While a diagnosis for Bipolar II Disorder needs to meet the criteria for a current or past hypomanic episode and criteria for a current or past major depressive episode. It is very difficult for individuals with bipolar disorders to control their moods and emotions because they often experience elevated highs and lows in each. According to a study conducted by Rusner, Carlsson, Brunt, & Nystrom (2009),
A study conducted by Inder, Crowe, Moor, Luty, Carter, & Joyce (2008), looked into the early onset of Bipolar Disorder, ages 15-19 years, and found that, “early onset BD has been associated with increased severity and psychosocial impairment and also with a more severe course of the illness as characterized by greater comorbidity, greater chronicity, and greater risk of suicide attempts” (p. 123). They also have poorer global functioning and have higher rates of academic failure, distributed interpersonal relationships, and multiple hospitalizations. What this study shows that is that there are multiple implications for the field’s ability to study and understand this condition because minimal attention has been applied to researching the developmental implications of early onset in Bipolar Disorder. If researchers were able to focus their attention more on the diagnosis of this disease and how early onset occurs, then many adolescents would not be mistakenly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder just based on their irritability alone, when they could in fact suffer from Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, or
At the research level, there is considerable heterogeneity in terms of phenotype, genetic predisposition, treatment response, and course of illness that all gets bundled together into a single diagnostic category” (p. 144). When it comes to Bipolar II Disorder, it was found that, “persons affected by bipolar II are most likely to seek treatment during depressed states, and they may not spontaneously report hypomanic events unless specifically probed by clinicians. However, such queries are not part of routine clinical training or practice, contributing to the under-recognition of bipolar II” (p. 145). The implication that this article raises is that there are not only strong issues with diagnosis both Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder, but that there are also implications on how each disorder is defined. It also raises the issue that Bipolar II Disorder often goes unrecognized by clinicians because not only do not many people seek treatment after some of their symptoms have occurred, but also many routines to check for this specific disorder are not part of the normal clinical routine practice done by