[Update on current care guideline: bipolar affective disorder].

Bipolar affective disorder (BD) is a long-term mental disorder presenting remittent depressive, hypomanic, manic or mixed episodes of illness and low symptomatic or asymptomatic intermediate periods. It is related to a serious risk of self-destructive behaviour. Patients are typically symptomatic approximately half of the time. Treatment focuses on preventing the recurrence of episodes. The care is based on mood stabiliser and second generation antipsychotic medication in accordance with the patient's current symptoms. When added to pharmacotherapy, psychosocial interventions can improve the outcome. Patients with BD are usually treated in psychiatric outpatient clinics.