In the related media story, published in Chronicle of Neurology & Psychiatry, Dr Michalak described how: “as part of our research, we have interviewed several people with bipolar disorder over the years who have told us that, from their point of view, it is their symptoms of anxiety that erode their quality of life (QoL). Taking the time to discuss with patients which of their symptoms are most impacting their functioning, including work or education, and QoL is usually time well spent”.

Further, she noted that “while detecting and addressing episodes of depression and mania in BD patients often takes clinical priority, physicians should incorporate a brief anxiety screening questionnaire into clinical encounters where possible, and use periods of mood stability as a golden opportunity to assess for other conditions including anxiety disorders”.