Advances in Bipolar Depression: Differential Diagnosis, Comorbidities, and Contemporary Treatment Strategies

Bipolar disorder is a complex illness, and its diagnosis and management remain among the most challenging facets of clinical psychiatry. Patients with bipolar disorder are most likely to present with depression and are often misdiagnosed with unipolar depression. Many patients wait years for a correct diagnosis. Distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression is often difficult, and the frequent occurrence of mixed features can make the differential diagnosis challenging. Medical and psychiatric comorbidities are also common in patients with bipolar depression and complicate the diagnosis and treatment. Persons with bipolar disorder have a high incidence of metabolic syndrome and other cardiovascular risk factors, while obesity and inactivity are associated with more severe illness and poorer treatment outcomes. Anxiety disorders and substance use disorder are among the most common psychiatric comorbidities in patients with bipolar disorder. Accurate diagnosis and consideration of comorbidities can prevent inappropriate or ineffective pharmacotherapy. This activity will provide insights to enhance healthcare providers’ knowledge of the accurate diagnosis and pharmacotherapeutic treatment of bipolar disorder. An expert faculty will discuss practical patient-centered strategies for diagnosis and management of bipolar depression, considerations for medical and psychiatric comorbidities, and evidence-based treatment strategies for bipolar depression.