Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder involving episodes of serious mania and depression and affects approximately one to three percent of the population. According to the National Institute of Mental Health nearly two million individuals in the United States alone are diagnosed with this disorder.


* This title aims to provide an overview of recent research progress
* It explores the impact of this evidence on the practice of expert clinicians of many different countries
* It will be an unbiased and reliable reference point with the kudos of WPA endorsement

Mario Maj is Professor of Psychiatry at the Primo Policlinico Universitario in Naples, Italy. Maj has been President of the Italian Psychiatric Association; President of the Italian Society of Biological Psychiatry; Secretary-General of the Association of European Psychiatrists; Editor of "European Psychiatry" and World Psychiatry. He became President of the Association of European Psychiatrists in January 2002 and of the World Psychiatric Association in September 2008.

Hagop S. Akiskal is Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the International Mood Center, San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA. He was awarded the Jean Delay prize by the World Psychiatric Association in 2002 for research work that better bridges the gap between biological, psychological and social aspects of psychiatry and mental health. He has received the Gold Medal for Pioneer Research - Society of Biological Psychiatry -, the German Anna Monika Prize for Depression, the NARSAD Prize for Affective Disorders, the French Jules Baillarger and the Italian Aretaeus Prizes for his research on the bipolar spectrum. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Juan José Lopez-Ibor is a Spanish psychiatrist. He studied medicine at the University of Valencia and of Madrid, where he obtained his doctorate in 1930.

Norman Sartorius is a psychiatrist and professor. He previously served as a director of the World Health Organization's Division of Mental Health. He has also been a former president of the World Psychiatric Association and of the European Psychiatric Association.

List of Review Contributors

Preface

Classification, Diagnosis and Boundaries of Bipolar Disorders (Hagop S. Akiskal)

Prognosis of Bipolar Disorder (Andeas Marneros and Peter Brieger)

Pharmacological Treatment of Bipolar Disorder (Charles L. Bowden)

Psychosocial Intervention for Bipolar Disorder (Mark S. Bauer)

Effects of Gender and Age on Phenomenology and Management of Bipolar Disorder (Kenneth L. Shulman, Ayal Schaffer, Anthony Levitt and Nathan Harramann)

The Economic and Social Burden of Bipolar Disorder (Joseph F. Goldberg and Carrie L. Ernst)

Index

Acknowledgements