2019 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 24-34
Comorbid rates of anxiety disorders among patients with bipolar disorders are higher than those among general populations, although comorbid rates vary among studies because of heterogeneity. In addition, the scantiness of randomized controlled and double blind studies causes difficulty in formulating treatment guidelines for comorbid anxiety disorders among bipolar disorders. It is essential when trying to understand these complex relationships to take a comprehensive, broad view of psychiatric disorders including personality and neurodevelopmental disorders in addition to bipolar and anxiety disorders. The differential diagnosis between bipolar and borderline personality disorder has been debated, although specific psychotherapy is the choice of treatment for borderline personality disorder. Adults with autism spectrum disorder who did not meet the former narrow diagnostic criteria develop secondary psychiatric disorders such as bipolar and anxiety disorders because they had not received early intervention. In those cases, active psychiatric treatment rather than just empathic observations should be adopted. Broader perspectives and specific treatments are needed to resolve this clinical tasks how to understand and treat anxiety disorders among bipolar disorders.
