Bipolar disorder prevalence in Italy 2010-2019

In 2019, bipolar disorder affected about 1,049 Italians out of 100,000, a slight increase compared to 2010. The disease was mainly prevalent among individuals aged 55 to 64 years old and was more common among women than men. In 2021, bipolar disorder was the fourth most common cause of hospitalization for patients admitted to mental health facilities, and the fifth most common cause if only male patients were considered. Definition, risk factors and therapies The National Institute of Mental Health defines bipolar disorder as a manic-depressive illness that causes shifts in mood, energy and activity levels, altering the ability to carry out daily tasks. The causes of this mental condition are momentarily not well defined, even though a combination of brain structure, genetics and family history may affect the onset of the disease. Bipolar disorder is usually treated using mood stabilizers such as lithium, and in Italy, the public expenditure on lithium medication amounted to roughly 3.8 million euros in 2021. Sardinia was the region with the greatest rate of adults taking lithium.   The stigma around mental illness Bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose due to comorbidity with other mental conditions and volatility of the symptoms. Moreover, the feeling of shame that unfortunately still surrounds people dealing with mental health disorders does not make it easy to ask for a specialist’s consultation. Between 2020 and 2021, almost 63 percent of individuals suffering from depression in Italy declared that they sought help.

2019年，双相情感障碍影响了意大利每十万人口中的约1,049人，与2010年相比略有上升。该疾病主要流行于55至64岁的个体中，且女性患者多于男性。2021年，双相情感障碍成为精神健康设施住院患者第四常见的住院原因，如仅考虑男性患者，则位列第五。关于双相情感障碍的定义、风险因素及治疗方法，美国国立精神健康研究所将其定义为一种可引起情绪、能量及活动水平波动，进而影响日常任务执行能力的躁狂抑郁症。尽管脑结构、遗传因素及家族病史的复杂组合可能影响疾病的发生，但该精神障碍的成因尚未得到明确界定。双相情感障碍通常采用锂盐等情绪稳定剂进行治疗，2021年意大利在锂盐药物上的公共支出约为380万欧元。萨丁岛地区成人服用锂盐的比例最高。围绕精神疾病的社会污名使得双相情感障碍的诊断变得复杂，症状的波动性及与其它精神疾病的共病性加剧了这一难度。此外，不幸的是，与心理健康问题抗争的人们仍然面临着耻辱感，这使得他们寻求专业咨询变得更加困难。在2020年至2021年间，几乎有63%的意大利抑郁症患者表示他们寻求了帮助。