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Epidemiology of Older Age Bipolar Disorder

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Bipolar Disorder in Older Age Patients

Abstract

Older adults with bipolar disorder are expected to increase in numbers in the future, will likely require more health services than their same-aged peers, and have been understudied as a group. While prevalence rates of older age bipolar disorder (OABD) are low in community samples, older adults with bipolar disorder are frequently seen in treatment settings. Individuals can present with new-onset mania throughout the life span. Older adults presenting with mania have been thought to comprise two clinically significant subgroups: those with early-onset bipolar disorder (EOBD) and those with late-onset bipolar disorder (LOBD). Individuals with late-onset bipolar illness are more likely to be women, less likely to have a family history of bipolar disorder, and more likely to have cerebrovascular risk factors or disease. The symptoms of bipolar disorder do not typically attenuate over time and older patients may experience more frequent periods of illness with less time spent in a euthymic state. Older adults with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for functional decline and overall morbidity and mortality.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 4-181, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Nicole Leistikow

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 4-181, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Susan W. Lehmann

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  1. Nicole Leistikow
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  2. Susan W. Lehmann
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Correspondence to Nicole Leistikow .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, BALTIMORE, Maryland, USA

    Susan W. Lehmann

  2. Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA

    Brent P. Forester

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Leistikow, N., Lehmann, S.W. (2017). Epidemiology of Older Age Bipolar Disorder. In: Lehmann, S., Forester, B. (eds) Bipolar Disorder in Older Age Patients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48912-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48912-4_1

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