In Sweden, the incidence and prevalence of diagnosed bipolar disorder have increased during the last 20 years. Compared to the general population, these patients had similar education levels, lower employment levels, less disposable income, more sick leave, and twice the mortality. A trend towards earlier diagnosis, more use of antidepressants, and less use of lithium was seen.

Differential use of quetiapine XR and IR in bipolar disorder patients with different and important characteristics was demonstrated. Patients who were switched to quetiapine XR had a higher psychiatric disease burden, were younger and had a higher degree of employment. These differences demonstrate the heterogeneity among bipolar disorder patients and indicate the need in clinical practice for individualized treatment to reduce the risk for both patient and society related losses.