Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia are two very distinct mental health challenges. While BD is characterized by intense mood swings between deeply depressive states and episodes of mania, schizophrenia is marked by psychosis that can include hallucinations, delusions, or disordered thoughts or speech.
Because it’s possible for someone with bipolar disorder to experience psychotic symptoms, people living with BD can sometimes be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. It’s also common for those living with schizophrenia to be struggling with other mental health conditions.
So, how can clinicians, loved ones, and educators learn to recognize the key symptoms of BD and schizophrenia all while understanding the key similarities and differences in these disorders? How is each condition diagnosed and treated? And what are their respective risk factors?
In this previously recorded session, Kathryn Eve Lewandowski, PhD, provides an overview of both schizophrenia and the different types of bipolar disorder, shares tips for spotting their signs and seeking treatment, and answers audience questions about successfully supporting someone living with these conditions.
Can’t join our session live?
Sign up anyway! You’ll receive a recording by email a few days after the webinar.
Kathryn Eve Lewandowski, PhD, is the director of clinical programming at McLean OnTrackTM, a program for young adults in the early stages of psychotic disorders. She is also an associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Lewandowski is a member of the International Society of Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Targeting Cognition Task Force and the International Consortium Investigating Cognition in Bipolar Disorder (ICONIC-BD). She was awarded the 2018 Connie Lieber Science to Practice Award for her work in implementation of cognitive remediation in early psychosis and mania.
