BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Introduction

This paper provides summaries of three articles based on the topic of bipolar disorder. The first article is titled as “Impact of Bipolar Disorder on a U.S. Community Sample”. Firstly the author of the article has defined bipolar disorder as:

“Bipolar disorder (BD), or what historically was called manic-depressive disorder, has long been identified as an adult disorder. BD is characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and behavior that significantly impair an individual's functioning”. According to the findings of the article, in adults, it is characterized by cycles of depression alternating with either mania (i.e., feelings of elation, inflated self-esteem, excessive talking, flight of ideas, increased goal-directed and risk-taking behavior, and agitation) or hypomania (manic-like symptoms but less severe and shorter in duration); each component of the cycle lasts at least 4 days (Calabrese, 2007). With children, it has been suggested that the components of the cycle can be very short (i.e., rapid or ultra rapid cycling). Furthermore, in children, the depression may manifest as irritability, low motivation, poor concentration, and loss of interest.

BD is believed to be neurological in origin and related to poor regulation of various neurotransmitters (i.e., chemicals) in the brain. The predisposition for this regulatory problem is believed to be inherited. As with other disorders, it is most likely that more than one gene is involved in the familial transmission, with risk increasing for all mood disorders (i.e., depression) when BD is present in the family history (Hilty, 2008).

The author of the first article has also focused on the characteristics of childhood BD that include the worsening of disruptive behavior, hyperactivity, irritability, impulsive behavior, explosive rages and tantrums, difficulty sleeping at night, and difficulty concentrating. Additionally, rapid speech, racing thoughts, grandiose delusions, increased physical and mental activity, separation anxiety, and inappropriate sexual behaviors have been described (Hofmann, 2007). In children, it has been suggested that the presentation is more a combination of mania, depression, and irritability. In addition, early onset presentation may include sub-clinical levels of hypomania, depression, and mixed affective states with episodic aggression (Johnson, 2007). Notably, the two symptoms that are specific to BD in adults, euphoria or elated mood and grandiosity, occur rarely in children with bipolar disorder (Carlson, 1990); in place of the euphoria, irritability is seen as the key symptom in children (Calabrese, 2007).

The second article is titled as “A Review of Bipolar Disorder among Adults”, and according to the author of this article, with regard to gender and bipolar disorder, Bipolar I affects men and women equally, but Bipolar II disorder is more common in women. Males may also present differently than females with the disorder. Commonly, the first episode in males is a manic. Females are more likely to be depressive.

In the author's opinion, the onset of bipolar disorder may occur at anytime during the life span, but the median age of onset for the disorder is 18 years of age. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area study reported a mean age of 21 years for bipolar ...