Gender Differences in Bipolar Disorder

Gender Differences in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar I disorder has comparable currency in men and women, whereas many studies have shown that there are more women than men with bipolar II disorder.

Traditional epidemiologic studies give prevalence rates of 0.4–1.6% for bipolar I disorder and 0.5–1.9% for bipolar II disorder.

Additional studies indicate that the prevalence of bipolar disorder II is even higher in the common population and, when the spectrum of bipolarity is extended to bipolar disorder in general, the affected population is about 5%.

The clinical features, phenomena, and evolution of bipolar disorder oppose between men and women, especially the course of illness, plan of quality of life and psychosocial functioning of patients. Manic episodes are more popular in men and depressive episodes occur more commonly in women.

Existing evidence proposes that men usually present with manic episodes whereas women tend to present with major depressive episodes. Furthermore, the onset of the bipolar disorder is often succeeding in women than in men.

Women have a leading probability of experiencing mixed episodes compared with men and are more probable to experience seasonal episodes and active cycling.

In addition, women with bipolar disorder have larger comorbidity of physical pathology, particularly thyroid diseases.

Comorbid drug abuse is more frequent in men with bipolar disorder, whereas women with bipolar disorder tend to have more comorbid eating disorders

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