Bipolar affective disorders are highly prevalent in the general population. The course of bipolar affective disorder is characterised by episodes of mania or hypomania, and periods of depression. One clear-cut manic episode is enough for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (according to DSM IV criteria) but many patients have two or more episodes. When a patient has 4 or more pathological mood episodes in one year, the course is defined as ‘rapid cycling’. It is important to identify rapid cycling in clinical practice as these patients do not respond as well to conventional treatment. Outcomes can be improved by a combination of management of risk factors for rapid cycling and the use of appropriate pharmacological intervention. This article focuses on the diagnostic criteria, clinical features, risk factors and management of rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
Keywords: bipolar disorder, rapid cycling, risk factors, treatment