TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnostic disagreements in bipolar disorder
T2 - The role of substance abuse comorbidities
AU - Shalini Theodore, Rowena
AU - Ramirez Basco, Monica
AU - Biggan, John R.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Substance abuse can produce symptoms similar to other psychiatric disorders, thus confusing the diagnostic picture. This paper attempts to elucidate how misdiagnosis in bipolar disorder might be explained by the presence of substance abuse comorbidities. The overlap of symptoms, limited information about symptom onset, and inexperienced clinicians can result in the misinterpretation of symptoms of substance abuse disorders for bipolar disorder. The present study found that the presence of a substance abuse comorbidity, the polarity of last episode (depressed, manic, mixed, not otherwise specified), and the total number of comorbidities affected the reliability of a bipolar disorder diagnosis.
AB - Substance abuse can produce symptoms similar to other psychiatric disorders, thus confusing the diagnostic picture. This paper attempts to elucidate how misdiagnosis in bipolar disorder might be explained by the presence of substance abuse comorbidities. The overlap of symptoms, limited information about symptom onset, and inexperienced clinicians can result in the misinterpretation of symptoms of substance abuse disorders for bipolar disorder. The present study found that the presence of a substance abuse comorbidity, the polarity of last episode (depressed, manic, mixed, not otherwise specified), and the total number of comorbidities affected the reliability of a bipolar disorder diagnosis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873801158&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1155/2012/435486
DO - 10.1155/2012/435486
M3 - Article
C2 - 22319647
AN - SCOPUS:84873801158
SN - 2090-1321
VL - 2012
JO - Depression Research and Treatment
JF - Depression Research and Treatment
M1 - 435486
ER -