Abstract
To determine the frequency with which bipolar II disorder (BD II) was diagnosed in clinics held in four rural towns in New South Wales (NSW). A retrospective case file audit was conducted for patients referred for psychiatric assessment and treatment in four towns in rural NSW over a period of two years and nine months. Of 559 patients seen for the first time during the study period, 113 (20.2%) were diagnosed with BD II, and of these this diagnosis was made for the first time in 69 patients (61%). Associated clinical findings in BD II patients are presented and a comparison is made with patients with non-bipolar depression seen during the same period. BD II was commonly seen in these rural clinics, and appears to be often under-diagnosed in general practice, as has been found to be the case in urban centres. This is seen as a serious public health problem, which needs to be addressed by educational steps directed at general practitioners (GPs), mental health clinicians, and perhaps also the general public.
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