Prevalence of bipolar disorder in the general population: a Reappraisal Study of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study.
OBJECTIVE
The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS) is a Dutch population study using a fully structured interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview, CIDI), administered by trained interviewers. Based on all three assessments of NEMESIS, 2.4% of the respondents were identified with lifetime bipolar disorder (DSM-III-R). The primary aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the same population based on a semistructured interview administered by clinicians.


METHODS
Seventy-four persons identified with a lifetime CIDI/DSM-III-R bipolar disorder and 40 persons with a major depressive disorder (MDD) were reinterviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID).


RESULTS
Based on the SCID, 30 of 74 respondents with a CIDI/DSM-III-R bipolar disorder and eight of 40 respondents with MDD met DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder or cyclothymia, corresponding with an adjusted lifetime prevalence in these groups of 1% (95% CI: 0.7-1.3%) and 4.2% (95% CI: 1.6-6.9%) respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with the SCID, the CIDI on the one hand overdiagnoses bipolar disorder but on the other hand underdiagnoses bipolar disorder.
Altrecht Institute for Mental Health Care, 3512 PC Utrecht, The Netherlands. e.regeer@altrecht.nl
E J
EJ
Regeer
M
M
ten Have
M L
ML
Rosso
L
L
Hakkaart-van Roijen
W
W
Vollebergh
W A
WA
Nolen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence