@article{ref1,
title="Has bipolar disorder become a predominantly female gender related condition? Analysis of recently published large sample studies",
journal="International journal of bipolar disorders",
year="2021",
author="Ketter, Terence A. and Cafaro, Rita and Dell'osso, Bernardo",
volume="9",
number="1",
pages="e3-e3",
abstract="Bipolar Disorders (BD) are disabling and severe psychiatric disorders, commonly perceived as equally affecting both men and women. The prevalence of BD in the  general population has been growing over the last decade, however, few  epidemiological studies are available regarding BD gender distribution, leaving  unanswered the question whether the often reported increment of BD diagnosis could  be gender specific. In fact, BD in female patients can often be misdiagnosed as MDD,  leaving such women non correctly treated for longer times than their male  counterparts. From this perspective, we searched literature for large sample (> 1000  subjects) studies published in the last decade (2010 onward) on BD patients. We  included ten large sample studies that reported the gender distribution of their  samples, and we therefore analysed them. Our results show a higher preponderance of  female patients in every sample and sub-sample of BDI and BDII, supporting our  hypothesis of an increase in BD diagnosis in females. BD in women presents with  higher rates of rapid cycling, depressive polarity and suicide attempts,  characteristics of non inferior severity compared to males; prompt recognition and  adequate treatment of BD is therefore crucial to reduce risks and improve quality of  life of affected women. In this regard, our results could lead the way for national  or international epidemiological studies with the aim of more accurately assessing  gender-specific prevalence of BD.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2194-7511",
doi="10.1186/s40345-020-00207-z",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40345-020-00207-z"
}