Bipolar affective disorder: a review of current trends and new therapeutic perspectives
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews June 20, 2026 Maciej Kawecki, Julia Magdalena Chrystofiak, Wiktor Piotr Banasik et al.
Bipolar affective disorder is a chronic mood disorder marked by alternating episodes of mania, hypomania, and depression, leading to functional decline, increased suicide risk, and shortened life expectancy. Lithium remains the first-choice drug for treating and preventing mania; valproate and carbamazepine are effective but carry higher side-effect risks, while atypical neuroleptics work for both mania and depression. For treatment-resistant cases, especially refractory bipolar depression, neuromodulatory techniques (ECT, rTMS, tDCS, VNS) and the use of ketamine and psychedelics such as psilocybin show promising results. Electroconvulsive therapy is the best studied, rTMS and tDCS show moderate efficacy with good tolerance, ketamine provides rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects despite limited long-term data, and phototherapy benefits seasonal and non-seasonal depression with a good safety profile.