what percentage of bipolar disorder patient report misdiagnosis

by Ms. Alia Boyle 8 min read

Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder - PMC

12 hours ago As per the survey taken by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (DMDA), 69 percent of patients with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed initially and more than one-third remained misdiagnosed for 10 years or more. 13 Similarly, a survey done in Europe on 1000 people with bipolar disorder found a mean time of 5.7 years from the initial misdiagnosis to the … >> Go To The Portal


As per the survey taken by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (DMDA), 69 percent of patients with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed initially and more than one-third remained misdiagnosed for 10 years or more.

Full Answer

What percentage of people are bipolar?

Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive illness that affects just under 3% of the adult population. In the United States, this means about 5.5 million people are affected by this neurobiological disorder on a regular basis.

Are there successful people who live with bipolar?

Yes, it is possible to be successful and lead a fulfilling life even with Bipolar Disorder. Famous individuals like Mel Gibson, Mariah Carey, Shama Sikander, and Yo Yo Honey Singh have shown that suffering from Bipolar Disorder need not limit the heights you can reach.

What are the statistics on bipolar disorder?

Compared to men, women with bipolar disorder tend to experience:

  • More rapid cycling between depression and mania
  • More episodes and simultaneous symptoms of depression and mania
  • Higher likelihood of being misdiagnosed with depression

How many children are diagnosed with bipolar disorder?

Yet up to one-third of the 3.4 million children and teens with depression in the United States may actually be experiencing the early onset of bipolar disorder, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Doctors now recognize and treat the disorder in young people, but it is still an under-recognized illness.

How many people with bipolar disorder are mistakenly diagnosed?

Conversely, up to 20 percent of people with bipolar disorder may be mistakenly diagnosed with depression by their primary care doctors, according to a study published in July 2011 in the British Journal of Psychiatry. And another study, published in August 2017 in the journal Bipolar Disorders, analyzed the delay in diagnosis ...

What percentage of people with bipolar disorder are mistakenly diagnosed with depression?

Up to 20 percent of people with bipolar disorder may be mistakenly diagnosed with depression. Marta Lebek/Stocksy. About 4 percent of people in the United States experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Why are people diagnosed with depression younger?

The patients who were originally diagnosed with depression tended to be younger, have more manic symptoms, and have better coping skills, which perhaps helped them function throughout the day and contributed to the delay in getting the correct diagnosis.

How to increase chances of getting a diagnosis?

One of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of receiving an accurate diagnosis is to talk with your doctor about all of your symptoms and emotions — both the good and the bad — says Schwartz. “It helps to create a fuller picture of your experience,” he explains.

Is bipolar disorder a mental illness?

People with bipolar disorder frequently have another mental health issue or condition, such as anxiety disorder, an eating disorder, or a substance abuse problem, ...

Is bipolar disorder diagnosed in people who don't have it?

This 2016 review looked at results from one of Dr. Zimmerman’s earlier studies, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, which suggested that bipolar disorder is often diagnosed in people who don’t have the condition. In that large study, his research team determined that fewer than half the people in the study who had been diagnosed ...

Can bipolar be mistaken for schizophrenia?

In some cases, bipolar disorder may be mistaken for schizophrenia if the patient also has psychotic symptoms, according to NAMI, and someone with schizoaffective disorder can also be wrongfully diagnosed as bipolar. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorder can also be confused with bipolar disorder.

Why is it so difficult to diagnose bipolar?

bipolar, Neurodiversity. Because many symptoms of mental illness are similar to one another, it can be difficult to diagnose a patient.

What are the consequences of bipolar disorder?

Additional consequences of undiagnosed bipolar disorder may include substance abuse, as 40% of sufferers abuse drugs and alcohol while 84% have attempted or contemplated suicide, according to research.

How many people with bipolar are satisfied with their medication?

Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers with bipolar disorder are satisfied with their current medication (s), although side effects remain a problem. (DBSA, 1999) Consumers who report high levels of satisfaction with their treatment and treatment provider have a much more positive outlook about their illness and their ability to cope with it.

How many people with bipolar disorder have close relatives?

More than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness or with unipolar major depression, indicating that the disease has a heritable component. (National Institute of Mental Health)

How does bipolar affect children?

Children and Adolescents. Bipolar disorder is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the disorder. When one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5 to 30%. When both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk increases to 50 to 75%. (National Institute of Mental Health)

What are the physical symptoms of depression?

When depressed, there may be many physical complaints such as headaches, and stomachaches or tiredness; poor performance in school, irritability, social isolation, and extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure. (National Institute of Mental Health). Back to Top.

Do bipolar women have more depressive episodes than men?

Other research findings indicate that women with bipolar disorder may have more depressive episodes and more mixed episodes than do men with the illness. (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58, 1995 [Suppl.15]) Back to Top.

How long does it take to diagnose bipolar disorder?

Longitudinal studies have shown us that the average time from initial onset of symptoms to an accurate bipolar diagnosis is ten to twelve years! The reality is bipolar disorder is usually difficult to diagnose based on just an initial diagnostic interview with an individual.

What is the difference between bipolar and personality disorder?

The second critical distinction between the personality disorders and bipolar disorder is that all personality disorder issues manifest in relation to interpersonal relationships. The struggles which may activate strong personality disordered symptoms are almost always within the interpersonal realm.

What are the differences between bipolar and attention deficit?

The salient differences are that feelings of grandiosity, intense elation and/or intense anger, racing cognition and lessened need for sleep are more salient in childhood bipolar than they are in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder .

Does bipolar disorder come out of nowhere?

While there is some overlap here with bipolar disorder in the sense that interpersonal stresses may activate a shift in mood phase, bipolar individuals will also tell you that there are times when the onset of their symptoms, whether elevated or depressed, will seem to come out of nowhere.

Does bipolar disorder start with depression?

More often than not, bipolar disorder begins with episodes of depression. In fact, we may see adolescents go through a few years of intermittent depressive episodes during high school before they manifest the kind of mood elevation which tips the scale towards a bipolar diagnosis.

Is bipolar disorder an endogenous shift?

The only reliable explanation is that there’s been an endogenous shift in their brain activity and their neurochemistry. The above discussion is by no means exhaustive regarding differential diagnostic distinctions between bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders that share similar symptoms.

Can OCD be bipolar?

Ocd does indeed many times co occurs with bipolar and can be hard to differentiate. What is initially thought to be OCD may actually be bipolar in a young adult and or commonly both (when that is the case it is most important to treat the bipolar first.). Esp OCD that manifests as religious, sexual,and obsessional OCD.

Definition

Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder, is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels that affect a person’s ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. These shifts in mood and energy levels are more severe than the normal ups and downs that are experienced by everyone.

Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder Among Adults

Based on diagnostic interview data from National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), Figure 1 shows past year prevalence of bipolar disorder among U.S. adults aged 18 or older. 1 An estimated 2.8% of U.S.

Bipolar Disorder with Impairment Among Adults

Of adults with bipolar disorder in the past year, degree of impairment ranged from moderate to serious, as shown in Figure 2. Impairment was determined by scores on the Sheehan Disability Scale. An estimated 82.9% of people with bipolar disorder had serious impairment, the highest percent serious impairment among mood disorders.

Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder Among Adolescents

An estimated 2.9% of adolescents had bipolar disorder, and 2.6% had severe impairment. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria were used to determine impairment.

Data Sources

Harvard Medical School, 2007. National Comorbidity Survey (NSC). (2017, August 21). Retrieved from https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/index.php. Data Table 2: 12-month prevalence DSM-IV/WMH-CIDI disorders by sex and cohort.

What is the most common mental health misdiagnosis?

1. ADHD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common diagnoses for children to receive.

What are the consequences of misdiagnosis?

The Effects of Misdiagnosis. A mental health diagnosis is the first step on the path to treatment. If that first foray is a misstep and someone receives an incorrect diagnosis, a few consequences can be devastating, depending on the root issue at hand. 1. Confusion.

What does a mental health clinician rely on?

Mental health clinicians, on the other hand, must rely exclusively on reported symptoms and patient history.

How long does it take for a mental illness to get worse?

If a mental health condition gets misdiagnosed or never diagnosed at all, the patient is likely to keep getting worse. Many medications prescribed for mental illness, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression, take several months to reach therapeutic levels in the patient’s system.

How many people have had a major depressive episode in the last year?

In the U.S., 7.1% of adults have had at least one major depressive episode in the last year. The CDC’s report on children’s mental health reveals depression is less prevalent in children, with only 3.2% receiving a diagnosis for this disorder.

What is differential diagnosis?

Differential Diagnosis. When someone sees a medical or clinical professional for treatment, one often assumes the professional’s judgment of their condition is correct. However, the problem of misdiagnosis — where the diagnosis is incorrect or the professional can’t come up with a diagnosis at all — is more common than you may think.

How many people don't have depression?

One study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests more than 60% of people who receive a diagnosis of major depression don’t actually have it. The study observed more than 5,600 patients who received a depression diagnosis in a non-hospital setting.