Bipolar Disorder, Essay Example

Bipolar Disorders are some of the most difficult and highly prevalent mental disorders within the United States.  Thousands of people suffer from this issue, and even more family members and friends become victims of the disease as it impacts everyday life.  Much research has been presented on the topic to suggest the overall prevalence of the disease within the United States, the negative impacts that bipolar disorders have on employment, and the treatment of the disorders within the medical community.  It is the intent of this review to summarize research findings in these multiple areas and evaluate them for merit within the medical community and for further research to help alleviate the many problems associated with victims of bipolar disorders.

There is some dispute in the medical community as to the prevalence of bipolar disorders among the overall population.  Some researchers believe that it may be as high as 10% of the total population that experiences bipolar disorder-related symptoms in their personality and psychosocial behaviors.  However, based on a previous study, results from a medical screening percentage “suggests that nearly 4% of American adults may suffer from bipolar I and II disorders.  [Furthermore], young adults and individuals with lower income are at greater risk for this largely under-diagnosed disorder” (Calabrese, 2003, p. 58).  Therefore, at least four people out of 100 are likely to have one of the two bipolar disorders and may be experiencing multiple symptoms that are dangerous to their personal health and well-being.  The exact cause of the disorder continues to be under study, but Weissman et al. (1996) believe that “differences in rates for major depression across countries suggest that cultural differences or different risk factors may affect the expression of the disorder” (p. 299).  The exact cultural differences are not precisely clear at this time, and the researchers suggested additional studies to be performed to help pinpoint these specific differences to help target individuals that may be likely to become impacted by bipolar disorders or even enter a state of depression.

Furthermore, research has shown that the existence of bipolar disorders appears early in young adulthood and the opinions of effective treatment from bipolar patients tends to vary.  According to Hirschfeld et al. (2003), “individuals with bipolar disorder reported that the illness manifests itself early in life but that accurate diagnosis lags by many years.  The illness exacts great hardships on the individual and the family and has a profoundly negative effect on careers” (p. 172).  Within this study, the researchers found that the bipolar patients responded to a questionnaire that they were overall pleased with their current medical treatment for their symptoms, but some patients suggested that previous treatment methods or previous medical opinions were inconclusive or inaccurate and caused more problems than were necessary (p. 168).  This fact is very important so that medical personnel are ensuring the best treatment possible for these individuals and their families.  Poor treatment and inaccurate diagnoses can cause additional problems for the patient that would otherwise have been avoided if proper care was administered in the beginning.  Pharmacological treatment methods can sometimes have their drawbacks.  Research shows that there is a 73% chance that individuals treated for bipolar disorders will have a relapse or enter a state of depression within 5 years of their initial treatment (Gitlin et al., 1995, p. 1640).

The large prevalence of bipolar disorder symptoms in the American population causes a great deal of concern towards this issue for the patients and their loved ones.  While treatment methods vary, they tend to not be as effective in the long-term as they need to be, and patients can enter a severe relapse within 5 years of their initial treatment.  Furthermore, additional research must continue to be performed in order to understand the causes of bipolar disorders and the development of additional treatment methods that can be more precise and effective to eventually eliminating the symptoms of this disease altogether.

References

Calabrese, J.R., Hirschfeld, R.M., Weissman, M.M., Reed, M., & Davies, M.A. (2003). Screening for bipolar disorder in the community.. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64(1), 53-59.

Gitlin, M.J., Swendsen, J., Heller, T.L., & Hammen, C. (1995). Relapse and impairment in bipolar disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 1635-1640.

Hirschfeld, R.M., Lewis, L., & Vornik, L.A. (2003). Perceptions and impact of bipolar disorder: how far have we really come? Results of the national depressive and manic-depressive association 2000 survey of individuals with bipolar disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64(2), 161-174.

Weissman, M.M., Bland, R.C., Canino, G.J., Faravelli, C., & Greenwald, S. (1996). Cross-national epidemiology of major depression and bipolar disorder. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 276(4), 293-299.