Bipolar Disorder in Older People

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mood disorder, characterized by acute episodes of depression and (hypo)mania, affecting approximately 2.4% of the global population. Previous studies have shown that there is considerable functional impairment in adults with BD, even while their mood is stable. Similarly, quality of life is impaired when individuals are both in episode and euthymic. For these reasons, BD has been ranked as one of the top 20 causes of the global disease burden. As BD represents a lifelong and recurrent condition, associated with functional decline and a reduction in quality of life, people suffering from it nowadays live most of their life with this disorder.