Bipolar by the numbers. You are not alone. Having a feel for how widespread bipolar is can be comforting. At the same time, some of the statistics are confronting and should be a call to action for all of us. More to follow.
- By the year 2020, bipolar disorder will be the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide among all medical illnesses.
- The Australian Psychology Society states that in Australia, approximately 1.3% of the population has a form of bipolar disorder.
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that the condition affects 2.9% of Australians aged 16 and over, or 568,000 people.
- 21.9% of mental health admissions relate to Bipolar Disorders.
- Bipolar costs Australian Governments $7.39 billion per annum.
- Systemic reform would result in $12.26 billion of savings to the taxpayer
- The Better Health Channel reports that research suggests that around 80 per cent of the causes of Bipolar are genetic. (https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/bipolar-disorder).
- In an Australian national survey (2004), 52% of people with bipolar disorder had a concurrent anxiety disorder (most commonly panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder or social phobia) and 39% a substance-use disorder.
- Australian people living with bipolar have a suicide risk 17 times that of the general population.
- Around 1 in 4 Australian people living with bipolar attempt suicide and bipolar accounts for 12% of all suicides each year.
Eve's Gift 