PsychU Spotlight

Did You Know?

• There are currently no known methods for preventing mood disorders, however, early diagnosis and treatment can help to reduce symptom severity and improve quality of life.

  Reference:
  Johns Hopkins. (n.d.). Overview of mood disorders. Retrieved from HopkinsMedicine.org.

• There are four basic types of bipolar disorder: bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia; and other specified or unspecified bipolar or related disorders.

  Reference:
  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2016). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved from NIMH.NIH.gov.

• Approximately 20.9 million American adults experience mood disorders, whether experiencing only one episode or multiple episodes and with varying severity and length of symptoms.

  Reference:
  PsychGuides. (n.d.). Mood disorder symptoms, causes and effect. Retrieved from PsychGuides.com.

• Most scientists agree that there is no single cause of bipolar disorder, but that it is likely a results of brain structure and functioning, genetics, and family history.

  Reference:
  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2016). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved from NIMH.NIH.gov.

• A variety of psychotherapy options are available for individuals living with a mood disorder like depression or bipolar disorder. Options include: cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic therapy.

  Reference:
  National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (2017) Depression. Retrieved from NAMI.org.

• People with bipolar disorder are more likely to seek help when experiencing a depressive episode than a manic or hypomanic episode, so it is important for mental health professionals to gather a careful medical history to ensure bipolar disorder is not mistakenly diagnosed as major depressive disorder.

  Reference:
  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2016). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved from NIMH.NIH.gov.

• Due to its varying symptoms, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed – one study estimates that 69% of people with bipolar disorder are initially diagnosed with another mental health disorder, most commonly unipolar depression, and that more than 30% of those remain misdiagnosed for ten years or more.

  Reference:
  Kvarnstrom, E. (2016). The dangers of bipolar disorder misdiagnosed as depression. Retrieved from BridgesToRecovery.com.