title: To be or not to be a bipolar disorder patient: problems with diagnosis.
abstract: The diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) is predominantly clinical. Some authors have suggested that BD is underdiagnosed and that many patients, particularly those with major depressive disorder, actually have BD. Some studies have suggested that BD is wrongly diagnosed, probably because of the idea of a "bipolar spectrum." To address this potential overdiagnosis, clinicians should carefully and systematically assess whether symptoms are included in diagnostic criteria and include the individual context of the patient.
authors: Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Bipolar Disorders Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. marianna.mazza@rm.unicatt.it
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Mazza
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Di Nicola
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Janiri
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Bria
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans