One in two adults living with bipolar disorder consult at least three medical professionals about their symptoms before receiving a diagnosis, Queensland researchers report.

Preliminary results from the Australian Genetics of Bipolar Disorder Study also show that more than two-thirds of patients are diagnosed with depression prior to bipolar disorder.

This is consistent with previous research that shows a large gap of 5-10 years between symptom onset and the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder, plus high rates of psychiatric comorbidities, the team wrote in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Their nationwide cohort study of nearly 6700 adults (mean age 45) assessed patient characteristics, symptom severity and lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder.