Pharmacotherapy for bipolar depression: an economic assessment.

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a common, severe and recurrent mood disorder associated with high rates of comorbidities, suicide, dysfunction and a high socioeconomic burden. Although the management of BPD has traditionally focused on the acute treatment of mania, the chronic nature of BPD necessitates long-term maintenance treatment. Bipolar depression is the predominant abnormal affective pole and causes greater disability and economic burden than mania. Maintenance pharmacotherapy can reduce rates of future episodes, and subsequently, the associated risks, functional disability and economic burden of bipolar illness.