Objectives In the coming generation, older adults with bipolar disorder (BD) will increase in absolute numbers as well as proportion of the general population. This is the first report of the International Society for Bipolar Disorder (ISBD) Task Force on Older-Age Bipolar Disorder (OABD). Methods This task force report addresses the unique aspects of OABD including epidemiology and clinical features, neuropathology and biomarkers, physical health, cognition, and care approaches. Results The report describes an expert consensus summary on OABD that is intended to advance the care of patients, and shed light on issues of relevance to BD research across the lifespan. Although there is still a dearth of research and health efforts focused on older adults with BD, emerging data has brought some answers, innovative questions, and novel perspectives related to the notion of late onset, medical comorbidity, and the vexing issue of cognitive impairment and decline. Conclusions Improving our understanding of the biological, clinical, and social underpinnings relevant to OABD is an indispensable step in building a complete map of BD across the lifespan.

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Objectives Older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD) are vulnerable for a COVID‐19 infection via multiple pathways. It is essential for OABD to adhere to the COVID‐19 measures, with potential consequences for the psychiatric symptoms. This situation offers the unique opportunity to investigate factors of vulnerability and resilience that are associated with psychiatric symptoms in OABD. Methods This study included 81 OABD patients aged over 50 years. Factors measured at baseline in patients that participated in 2017/2018 were compared with factors measured during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Results Participants experienced less psychiatric symptoms during COVID‐19 than (67.9% euthymic) than at baseline (40.7% euthymic). There was no difference in loneliness between COVID‐19 and baseline. Not having children, more feelings of loneliness, lower mastery, passive coping style and neuroticism were associated with more psychiatric symptoms during COVID‐19 measures. Conclusions Participants experienced less psychiatric symptoms during COVID‐19 measures when compared to baseline. Our results indicate promising targets for psychological interventions aimed at curing and preventing recurrence in OABD and improving quality of life in this growing vulnerable group.

Objective: Literature on older-age bipolar disorder (OABD) is limited. This first-ever analysis of the Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE-BD) investigated associations among age, BD symptoms, comorbidity, and functioning.Methods: This analysis used harmonized, baseline, cross-sectional data from 19 international studies (N = 1377). Standardized measures included the Young Mania Rating