Managing bipolar disorder in the primary care setting: a perspective for mental health professionals

Bipolar disorder affects between 1.3 percent and 1.6 percent of the general population. According to available evidence, prevalence rates appear to be even higher in primary care settings. The diagnosis and management of patients with bipolar disorder are potentially complicated by a number of factors, including underdiagnosis due to the predominance of depressive symptoms; high levels of psychiatric comorbidity; a comparatively high suicide rate; continuing controversies in the pharmacological management of the disorder; and a potentially elevated cost-of-care contributed by the prescription of brand-name medications as well as laboratory monitoring at baseline and intermittently for lithium and atypical antipsychotics and serum levels for lithium and some anticonvulsants. All of these factors seem to result in an understandable hesitancy on the behalf of primary care clinicians to diagnose and assume care for these complex patients. Mental health professionals need to remain mindful of these issues when arranging dispositions for patients.