Bipolar Disorder
Abstract: Bipolar disorder, defined on the basis of manic symptoms, is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders. The disorder presents unique challenges to diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of outcome. Strong assessment tools can aid in making an appropriate diagnosis, identifying predictors of treatment response, and tracking the efficacy of treatment. This chapter focuses on the assessment of bipolar disorder in adults and youth. It begins with a review of the nature of the disorder, which is followed by a review of clinical assessment instruments designed for the assessment purposes of (a) diagnosis, (b) case conceptualization and treatment planning, and (c) treatment monitoring and evaluation. Recommendations are included for instruments with the greatest scientific support and for assessing bipolar disorder in a clinically sensitive manner.