Management commentary

Bipolar II Disorder is a significant public health problem, and there is a dearth of studies of effective treatment modalities for this specific condition. Literally, the evidence base for most of what we use to treat BP II comes from extrapolation of what we have learned from trials on BP I, unipolar depression, schizophrenia, and even epilepsy. Among several reasons, the two principal ones for this phenomenon are the relative ‘youth’ of the diagnostic category and the absence of a specific regulatory indication for marketing approval. Hence, in the practical absence of solid scientific grounds (El-Mallakh et al., 2006), opinion-based articles like the one by Parker become crucial to assist routine clinical care. I now offer some personal views.