High rates of psychiatric comorbidity typify patients with bipolar disorder. For example, in
a study of 288 outpatients with bipolar disorders, McElroy et al. (2000) found that 42% met
criteria for a comorbid anxiety disorder, 42% for comorbid substance use disorder, and 5%
for an eating disorder. These disorders were not differentially prevelant among those with
bipolar one compared to bipolar II disorder, and in general these findings replicated those
from a number of epidemiologic studies