Bipolar Depression and Mixed Episodes: Rethinking Treatment Goals

Dan Iosifescu, MD, discusses why bipolar depression and mixed episodes remain among the most difficult—and highest-risk—conditions in psychiatry. Even when mood symptoms improve, many patients continue to experience significant cognitive and functional impairment. Dr. Iosifescu argues that standard approaches often fall short because symptom suppression is mistaken for recovery, short-term improvement is confused with durable treatment, and mixed episodes expose the limits of one-size-fits-al...