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Risk Factors for Bipolar Disorder

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Main Page Risk Factors Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Screening Reducing Your Risk Talking to Your Doctor Living With Bipolar Disorder Resource Guide

A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.

It is possible to develop bipolar disorder with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing bipolar disorder. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.

Risk factors for bipolar disorder include:

  • Genetic factors— Bipolar disorder can run in families. There is a high likelihood that there is a genetic component to this disorder. Eighty to ninety percent of individuals with bipolar disorder have a relative with either depression or bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is not caused by one specific gene. It is caused by many genes that act together.
  • Medicines and conditions—Some medicines (such as corticosteroids, cancer medicines), several medical conditions (such as thyroid disease, vitamin deficiencies, end-stage renal disease), and certain neurological diseases (such as Parkinson's syndrome, dementia) may present with features of bipolar disorder. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made only when none of these conditions are present.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
  • Review Date: 10/2012 -
  • Update Date: 10/12/2012 -

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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All rights reserved.

References

  • Bipolar disorder. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated September 17, 2012. October 12, 2012.

  • Bipolar disorder. National Institute of Mental Health website. Available at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml. Updated 2008. Accessed October 12, 2012.

  • Carson RC, Butcher JN. Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life. 11th ed. New York, NY: Allyn and Bacon; 2000.

  • Estevez RF, Suppes T. Maintenance treatment in bipolar I disorder. In: Yatham LN, Kusumakar V, eds. Bipolar Disorder: A Clinician’s Guide to Biological Treatments. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.; 2009: 107-152.

  • Fusar-Poli P, et al. Mapping vulnerability to bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2012;37:170-84.

  • Salvadore G, Drevets WC, Henter ID, Zarate CA, Manji HK. Early intervention in Bipolar Disorder, Part II: Therapeutics. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2008;2(3):136-146.