- Global prevalence
About 1–2.4% of people will experience bipolar disorder in their lifetime.
- U.S. prevalence
In the U.S., the lifetime prevalence is around 2.8%.
Depression is more common than mania
- People with bipolar type I typically spend three times more time being depressed than manic.
- Those with bipolar II spend even more time in depression, with numbers up to 35–50% of their lives, according to some studies.
Although mania or hypomania defines bipolar disorder, depression is often the most frequent and impairing phase.
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