Recent developments in the epidemiology of bipolar disorder in adults and children: Magnitude, correlates, and future directions.

Abstract
During the past decade, there has been increasing recognition of the dramatic personal and societal impact of bipolar disorder I and II (DSM–IV). The estimated disability-adjusted life years of bipolar disorder outrank all cancers and primary neurologic disorders, such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, primarily because of its early onset and chronicity across the lifespan (World Health Report, 2002). The results of numerous international epidemiologic surveys using contemporary diagnostic criteria have strengthened the evidence base on the magnitude, correlates, and consequences of bipolar disorder in representative samples of the general population. Epidemiologic research has also demonstrated the differences between clinical and community samples in terms of demographic factors, comorbidity, patterns of onset, severity, treatment utilization, and response. The aims of this article are (a) to summarize the magnitude of the prevalence of bipolar disorder in adults and children through a comprehensive review of DSM–IV bipolar disorder in the general population; (b) to describe the risk factors and correlates of bipolar disorder in community surveys; and (c) to describe the future directions for the field of epidemiology of bipolar disorder.