National Study of Bipolar Disorder Patients Highlights Potential Impact of Illness; - Study Results Also Show Disorder Could Be Devastating for Young Adults -.

CLEVELAND -- CLEVELAND, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Results published today in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry from the first prevalence and impact survey among people with symptoms of bipolar disorder in the U.S., reveal that the illness significantly disrupts virtually all aspects of their daily lives including work, academic performance and interpersonal relationships. These findings also indicate the disease may disproportionately impact 18-24 year-olds, pointing to the significant burden on this age group of one of the most common mental illnesses.

The study is based on a survey of people who responded positively to a screening tool for bipolar disorder, suggesting they had symptoms of the disorder. Results of the study suggest bipolar disorder causes significant impairment, affecting work and academic success. In this study, more than half of the people with symptoms of bipolar disorder were at high risk for being fired or laid off and nearly half reported poor performance on the job. Further, symptomatic people were less likely to have fulfilling personal relationships with many experiencing difficulties with…