[EliteFranceska]

About 2.4% of people around the world have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at some point in their lifetime, according to the first comprehensive international figures on the topic.

The United States has the highest lifetime rate of bipolar disorder at 4.4%, and India the lowest, with 0.1%.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycles of depression and mania, a euphoric, high-energy state that can result in heightened levels of creativity or output as well as erratic or risky behavior. People with bipolar disorder are at high risk of substance abuse and suicide, and treatment includes psychiatric care and medication.

However, fewer than half of people with the disorder were treated by a mental health professional, and only a quarter of those in lower-income countries sought treatment, according to the 11-nation study in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. Rates of bipolar disorder were lower in countries with more stigma," Merikangas says.

But poorer countries may also have some protection against bipolar disorder that the U.S. lacks, such as traditional social structures that are still relatively intact.

"We have less buffers in terms of social networks, in terms of having strong family backgrounds," says Merikangas. "We're much more mobile here."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/07...tes/index.html


even immigrants develop it once they get here .....