Page "Bipolar disorder" Paragraph 50

A recent 20-year prospective study on bipolar I and II found that functioning varied over time along a spectrum from good to fair to poor.

During periods of major depression or mania ( in BPI ), functioning was on average poor, with depression being more persistently associated with disability than mania.

Functioning between episodes was on average good — more or less normal.

Subthreshold symptoms were generally still substantially impairing, however, except for hypomania ( below or above threshold ) which was associated with improved functioning.