Anxiety in bipolar disorder: A review of publication trends

Although anxiety is highly prevalent in people with bipolar disorders and has deleterious impact on the course of the illness, past reviews have shown that many aspects of the topic remain under-researched. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature addressing anxiety in bipolar disorder (A-BD) between 2011 and 2020, assess if the interest in the topic has increased over the period and map the publication trends.

Three databases were systematically searched, and all articles were screened at the title/abstract and full text level based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 1099 articles were included in the study. The annual number of articles on A-BD published between 2011 and 2020 was calculated and articles addressing it as a primary topic (n = 310) were classified into 4 categories and 11 subcategories to identify gaps in the knowledge.

The results show no clear increase in the number of annual publications during the period and much of the available literature is of a descriptive nature. Less is known about the processes underlying the comorbidity and about treatment approaches.

Given the large scope of the research question, no quality assessment of the evidence was made. Only articles in English or French were considered.

These results highlight the need to change the focus of research efforts to better understand and address this unique set of conditions in clinical settings.