Thursday, September 20, 2007
Question
Suzanne writes:
What are the statistics as far as bipolar & suicide? Has it been studied as to what percentage of people diagnosed with bipolar (treated or not) commit suicide?
Answer
Hi, Suzanne. Goodwin and Jamison in their 2d edition to "Manic-Depressive Illness" (2007) report that suicide rate for bipolar is about 5-6 percent, lower than reported in previous studies, but may go as high as 23-26 percent in the early (and generally untreated) phase of the illness.
Independent of suicide, it is estimated that bipolar patients live seven years less than the general population.
