Etiology of Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan: Essential Interplay With Diagnosis, Classification, and Assessment

Bipolar disorder has garnered increasing attention as many argue that rates of bipolar disorder are skyrocketing and the definition of the classic bipolar disorder phenotype should be expanded, especially among children and adolescents. Understanding the psychosocial etiologies of bipolar disorder across the lifespan is critically important, and Alloy and colleagues' (2009) scholarly review makes an important contribution. Given the debate and controversy surrounding the description, diagnosis, and phenotype of bipolar disorder, having an accurate, reliable, and valid classification for definition, diagnosis, and assessment is critical for explicating potential etiology. Likewise, advanced understanding of etiology, especially when grounded in basic psychological science as Alloy and colleagues' review is, can importantly inform clinical phenomenology, course, assessment, and intervention. In summary, there is an essential interplay among description, classification, assessment, etiology, and intervention, such that a deeper understanding of all these areas is necessary for advancing an empirically based practice of assessment and intervention.