The majority of people with bipolar disorder will be hospitalized during their lifetime, and as much as 62% of all direct healthcare costs for bipolar disorder are due to hospital expenses.
The research is pretty conclusive: people with bipolar disorder die earlier than their peer group’s average. But the data leaves out a lot. It’s worth taking a peak behind the numbers.
What’s the average lifespan of someone with bipolar disorder? Now that I’m in my 50s, and now that I’ve lived with the diagnosis for nearly three decades, I wonder if I’ll live as long as others without the disorder. According to research, probably not.