Managing bipolar II disorder: some personal perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to overview a personal model for managing bipolar II disorder.
METHOD: The model describes the author's personal approach and observes the relative lack of an evidence base.
RESULTS: Key 'macro' and treatment component approaches are overviewed.
CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that bipolar II disorder is categorically distinct from bipolar I, in lacking any psychotic features during contrasting mood states and thus allowing that its management should not necessarily extrapolate strategies used to manage bipolar I disorder. If valid, in addition to there being less of a need to prescribe antipsychotic drugs, the differing mood stabilizers may have quite differing gradients of efficacy across the bipolar I and II disorders. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.