A thorough evaluation by a mental health provider is required to identify bipolar disorder. Two commonly-used sets of diagnostic criteria are those in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, and the International Classification of Disease (ICD), published by the World Health Organization.
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Bipolar disorder is diagnosed through a thorough evaluation by a mental health provider, using diagnostic criteria from the DSM and ICD (these criteria are established by the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, respectively).