People with bipolar disorder experience intense mood swings from mania to depression. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of bipolar people get misdiagnosed, according to a 2000 study by Robert Hirschfeld, M.D and colleagues at the University of Texas, published in 2003 in the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry." Diagnosing bipolar disease can be challenging because it often presents in conjunction with other conditions, such as substance abuse. Even professionals are not always aware that bipolar disorder symptoms can be quite different in children and adults; this can also complicate diagnosis.
Depression
The most commonly received misdiagnosis among bipolar patients is unipolar depression, says Dr. Hirschfeld. Misdiagnosed bipolar patients report a significantly lower quality of life than patients who have received the correct diagnosis of major depressive disorder, according to Dr. R. H. Perlis.
Women with bipolar disorder typically spend more time in the depressed phase of the disorder than than men, according to Leonardo Tondo, M.D. and colleagues from the International Consortium for Bipolar Disorder Research, who published a study in the "American Journal of Psychiatry" in October 1998. The authors concluded that it was more likely for women than men to be misdiagnosed with depression.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar disorder is challenging to diagnose in children because the symptoms of bipolar symptoms may be quite different in this age group. ADHD-like symptoms are sometimes a sign of a childhood-onset bipolar disorder, says TheChildAdvocate.com. Under nine years old, children with bipolar disorder are more likely to be irritable, impulsive and hyperactive. All of these are classic signs of ADHD. Children may also show both manic and depressed symptoms simultaneously, instead of having separate episodes of mania and depression like adults.
Anxiety Disorder
Pediatric bipolar disorder can be easily confused with anxiety disorder because of some common symptoms. Children suffering from anxiety disorders tend to be restless and irritable and find it hard to concentrate. All of these are common symptoms of bipolar disorder, as well.
Substance Abuse
Approximately 50 to 60 percent of bipolar-disorder patients abuse drugs or alcohol, according to Christopher Baethge, M.D. and colleagues from the Harvard Medical School, who published a study in the "American Journal of Psychiatry" in May 2005. Many of them get treated only for substance abuse, since their doctors fail to recognize the co-existing bipolar disorder.
The Consequences of Misdiagnosis
Consequences of failing to diagnose bipolar disorder can be devastating. Delay in the proper treatment puts a patient at risk for a greater number of recurrences or longer episodes. Bipolar patients who have not been properly diagnosed have higher rates of hospitalization compared to patients with correctly diagnosed bipolar disorder. They also attempt suicide more often than correctly diagnosed patients.
References
- "Primary Care Companion Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; Quality of Life Among Bipolar Disorder Patients Misdiagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder; A. George Awad et al; vol. 9; 2007
- " The American Journal of Managed Care"; Misdiagnosis of BipolarDdisorder; R. H. Perlis; vol 11; 2005
- " Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; 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; R. M. Hirschfeld et al; vol 64; 2003
- The Child Advocate: Bipolar or ADHD?
- "American Journal of Psychiatry": Rapid Cycling in Women and Men With Bipolar Manic-Depressive Disorders; Leonardo Tondo and Ross J. Baldessarini; October 1998
