Treatment Over the Lifespan in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is amongst the most frequent mental disorder at a population prevalence of 1 to 2%, causing a substantial share of loss of disability-adjusted life years and leading to frequent disability. Despite its often chronic and negative course, there are only a few collaborative and stepped care approaches that aim to positively alter the course of the disease. Only a few dedicated specialized centers provide treatments that specifically target bipolar disorder in striking contrast to the urgent need to do so. In a similar vein, approaches on prevention, early detection, and early treatment are still in their infancy despite their obvious relevance.

This Research Topic aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on this topic and will cover:
- identification of at-risk and prodromal stages of bipolar disorder;
- prevention, early treatment and course alteration approaches of bipolar disorder -also by incorporating biological information;
- the current state of the art in collaborative and stepped care in bipolar disorder
- the role of patients and relatives, as well as their organizations, in the treatment of patients suffering from bipolar disorder.

Together the series of papers, including both original data as well as review articles, shall provide a comprehensive overview of current care pathways, but also innovative takes on enhanced treatment in bipolar disorder. We hope that the issue will not only stimulate further research on this topic but also that it enhances the implementation of specialized services for this challenging condition.