overdiagnosis

Overdiagnosis of bipolar common in substance abuse

January 17, 2009, NEW YORK, NY—Many people who abuse substances and experience mood instability may be overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, new research suggests.

Researchers with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine said that among people with substance abuse disorders, mood instability and high-risk behavior may suggest the presence of bipolar. But they said active substance abuse makes it more difficult to diagnose bipolar among people with mood complaints.

The study looked at people admitted to a private inpatient clinic for substance abuse and mood disorder problems and found that only a third of those with suspected bipolar actually met the criteria for diagnosis. Those who did were older, were more likely to have past suicide attempts, and abused fewer substances.

The researchers concluded that caution must be exercised when attempting to diagnose patients.

The study, which appeared in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry electronically ahead of print, was titled “Over-diagnosis of bipolar disorder among substance use disorder inpatients with mood instability.”