Bipolar Disorder

Overview

Each year, Mayo Clinic psychiatry and psychology specialists care for thousands of patients of all ages who have bipolar disorder. Specialists work as a team to ensure that patients with bipolar disorder have access to the expertise needed for their care.

Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has a Mood Clinic and Mood Disorders Unit, which help facilitate outpatient and inpatient care for patients with bipolar disorder.

With proper treatment tailored to their specific needs, patients with bipolar disorder can live full and productive lives. A medical team, including a psychiatrist, works with the patient to set treatment goals and monitor progress. Carefully selected medications are a key component of successfully treating bipolar disorder. Psychotherapy is often used in conjunction with medications. Learn about bipolar disorder treatment.

Mayo Clinic scientists are conducting research to understand and identify the genetic basis and brain imaging patterns for bipolar disorder. Their goal is to develop better and more targeted drug treatment options for patients based on variations in their genetic makeup and brain metabolism. Researchers also are working to identify better, safer and more effective treatments for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. Learn about bipolar disorder research.

• Treatment in Minnesota

About Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). In any given year, more than 2 million American adults (about 5 percent of the population 18 years and older) have bipolar disorder or less severe forms of bipolar spectrum disorders. In many cases, the disease begins prior to age 18. Early treatment has been shown to improve how patients fare later in life.

Bipolar disorder involves an imbalance of the chemicals and brain function that regulate emotion. The imbalance is caused by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors that combine to disrupt the brain's chemistry and function. Researchers have identified several genes that are likely associated with bipolar disorder. It is not known how environmental factors interact with these genes to cause the disorder.

Read more about bipolar disorder at www.MayoClinic.com.