Bipolar disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by alternating episodes of severe elation (mania) and depression. Occurring in 1 to 1.6 percent of all adults over their lifetimes and in 1.2 percent of all children and adolescents, this "severe, recurrent psychiatric disorder" is considered a serious public health problem with staggering social costs (Nathan 1999). These costs include a loss of productivity, decreased life expectancy, and major financial expenditures stemming from abnormal mood shifts that have a negative impact …showed first 75 words of 6210 total…

…showed last 75 words of 6210 total…and age at onset. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 506-511. Torrey, E., & Knable, M. B., (2002). Surviving manic depression: a manual on bipolar disorder for patients, families and providers. New York: Basic Books. Vieta, E., Torrent, C., Garcia-Ribas, G., Gilabert, A., Garcia-Pares, G., Rodrigues, A., et al. (2002). Use of topiramate in treatment-resistant bipolar spectrum disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22, 431-435. Yatham, L. (2002). The role of novel antipsychotics in bipolar disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 63, 10-14.