What's new? The clinical epidemiology of bipolar I disorder.

The last few decades have seen a rapid change in our understanding of the epidemiology of bipolar disorder, which has only recently started to achieve major research attention. This article reviews recent developments. In addition to electronic searches using MEDLINE and PsycLIT, references from articles were identified, major journals hand searched, and major textbooks of psychiatry and epidemiology reviewed. Studies may have overestimated the prevalence of mania, and underestimated incidence. The incidence of mania may be increasing in recent generations, but the data remain inconclusive. Age at onset of mania is earlier than previously believed, and there are gender differences in epidemiology and clinical course. Ethnic differences in epidemiology and clinical course of bipolar disorder are highlighted. Comorbid alcohol and substance abuse are common in patients suffering from bipolar disorder and are associated with a more severe clinical course and a worse outcome. Urban living and lower socioeconomic and single marital status may be risk factors for developing bipolar disorder.

Long-term social functioning after depression treated by psychiatrists: a review.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous long-term studies of depression in psychiatric settings have shown a poor clinical outcome but little emphasis has been placed on psychosocial or functional outcome in studies to date. This article reviews published data on long-term social functioning after depression and considers why psychosocial recovery appears delayed compared with clinical recovery. METHODS: Searches were carried out of the databases MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT and EMBASE for articles published from 1980 using keywords relating to social and functional outcomes of unipolar and bipolar depression. Review articles and relevant textbooks were also searched. RESULTS: The few outcome studies published have described long-term functional impairment in the majority of patients but have been limited by methodological shortcomings. Psychosocial impairment tends to persist even after clinical remission from depression. Residual symptomatology after remission from depression may lead to enduring psychosocial impairment, as may subtle neurocognitive deficits. Axis I and II comorbidities predict a poor psychosocial outcome, but episodes of depression do not appear to lead to personality 'scarring'. CONCLUSIONS: Future outcome studies need to focus on longitudinal social functioning. Full functional recovery after an episode of depression should be the goal of treatment as enduring residual symptoms lead to long-term psychosocial impairment.