Bipolar disorder, a brain disorder that strikes early and can cause lifelong disability, is chronically undertreated in many low-income countries, U.S. government researchers reported on Monday.
Their survey of more than 61,000 patients suggests 2.4 percent of the world's population may have some form of the disease, which is marked by bizarre shifts in mood, energy and activity that can affect relationships and job performance.
"Bipolar disorder is responsible for the loss of more disability-adjusted life-years than all forms of cancer or major neurologic conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, primarily because of its early onset and chronicity across the life span," Kathleen Merikangas of the National Institute of Mental Health and colleagues wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
More about the survey.
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