Bipolar disorder, or bipolar affective disorder (previously called manic depression), is a life-long condition characterised by recurring episodes of mania and depression. There may be periods of wellness, but many people will not have recovery periods between episodes. Hypomania, a milder form of mania, is also included in bipolar types.^1,2,3

Around 1.3 million people in the UK – 2 per cent of the population - have bipolar disorder but potentially 5 per cent of the population may be on the bipolar spectrum. Symptoms usually start between the ages of 15 and 19, although it can commence at any age, but rarely after 40. Around 3.4 per cent of 16–24 year-olds screened positive for bipolar compared with 0.4 per cent of those aged 65–74 in England in 2014,^1,2,5

Surveys have found prevalence rates to be similar in men and women, and across ethnic groups. However, rates were higher in non-employed people, in those receiving particular social benefits (particularly disability payments), and in people living alone.¹

Bipolar is associated with as much as a 20-fold increase in the risk of suicide compared to the general population, with 5-6 per cent of people with bipolar disorder ending their lives by suicide.⁴