6 Ways Bipolar Disorder Affects Men and Women Differently
Updated on June 9, 2026
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can involve alternating periods of mania (an unusually happy, energetic, or irritable mood), hypomania (a milder form of mania), and depression (persistent sadness and loss of interest). No two people with bipolar disorder experience it the same way, and more generally, there seem to be some overarching differences in the way men and women experience it too.
Although the overall prevalence of bipolar disorder is roughly the same in men and women, research suggests that it affects people differently based on their biological sex, including the types of symptoms they experience, when they develop the condition, and more.
It’s important to note that biological sex (the physical aspects of being male or female) and gender identity (one’s personal sense of their own gender) are not the same. Most studies on bipolar disorder have been done based on biological sex only, according to research. This leaves gaps in understanding transgender people’s experiences with bipolar disorder (which is why your experience may or may not align with the observations below if you’re trans).
Here are six ways that bipolar disorder can affect men and women differently.
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1. Bipolar 2 Is More Common in Women Than Men
Bipolar 2 happens at different rates in men and women. “Bipolar 2 disorder, in which people have major depressive episodes and a milder and often briefer manic state, called hypomania, is more common in women,” says the psychiatrist Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, who is the Lou and Ellen McGinley distinguished chair in psychiatric research and the Aradine S. Ard chair in brain science at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Bipolar 1 disorder is a subtype of the condition characterized by the experience of manic episodes. Some people with bipolar 1 have episodes of depression, but others don’t. Bipolar 2 is a subtype characterized by episodes of depression and hypomania (a less severe version of mania that typically doesn’t cause the same issues with daily functioning that mania does). The full-scale episodes of mania that happen in bipolar 1 don’t happen in bipolar 2.
2. In Bipolar 1, Rapid Cycling Is More Common in Women Than Men
Unlike bipolar 2 disorder, bipolar 1 appears to be equally common in women and men, says Dr. Brown. However, “women may be more likely than men to experience rapid changes in mood,” says Brown, who has performed clinical research related to bipolar disorder for more than 20 years.
This is what’s known as rapid cycling. This means that some people with bipolar disorder have at least four manic or depressive episodes in one year. (Other individuals may have only a few mood episodes in their lifetime.) Rapid cycling can happen with any type of bipolar disorder.
3. Men Tend to Develop Bipolar Disorder Earlier Than Women
Men are more likely than women to develop bipolar symptoms at a younger age. “Men also have an earlier age of onset of first-episode mania, also about a five-year difference, compared to women,” says Christina Lee, MD, a psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Baltimore, who treats children and adults with mood disorders like bipolar disorder.
“More women than men experience what’s called late-onset bipolar,” Dr. Lee says. This is when people develop bipolar disorder in their forties or later, rather than in their late teens and twenties, when bipolar disorder usually begins, she says.
4. Substance Misuse Is More Common in Men With Bipolar Disorder Than Women
“Men, in general, are at a greater risk of developing a substance use disorder than women, and people with bipolar disorder are no exception,” Brown says.
But overall, substance use disorders are very common among people with bipolar disorder and affect over half of people with the condition, studies suggest. “That’s why it’s so important for people with bipolar disorder to be screened for substance use disorders,” says Brown.
5. Women With Bipolar Disorder Are More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed Than Men
Misdiagnosis is very common in people with bipolar disorder, affecting roughly 21 to 62 percent percent of people with the condition who receive an incorrect diagnosis of major depressive disorder, according to research. But misdiagnosis appears to affect women more often than men, says Lee.
Women are typically misdiagnosed with unipolar depression for 1.9 years longer than men, Lee says, citing prior research. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common misdiagnoses among people with bipolar disorder, according to one study.
Misdiagnosis can be a significant roadblock to getting the right treatment and can lead to worsened bipolar symptoms. For instance, someone with bipolar disorder who’s misdiagnosed with MDD may be prescribed antidepressants, which can sometimes trigger manic episodes or rapid cycling among people with bipolar disorder.
6. For Many Women, Bipolar Disorder Worsens Before Their Period or During Pregnancy, Postpartum, or Menopause
Mood disorders like bipolar disorder have hormonal components and can affect how women experience this condition, compared with men, says Lee. That’s especially true during times like pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, or in the days or weeks leading up to your period.
Many women with bipolar disorder are diagnosed with it for the first time during pregnancy or soon after giving birth. “[The postpartum] period is not only associated with a higher risk of bipolar onset, but also relapse [meaning the return of a mood episode after a period of feeling well],” says Lee.
“Bipolar can also worsen during premenstruation and during both perimenopause and menopause,” she says. Research has shown that during periods of increased hormonal changes, including menopause, mood symptoms may become more severe among women.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms and Causes
- Cleveland Clinic: Bipolar Disorder
- World Health Organization: Bipolar Disorder
- Office on Women’s Health: Bipolar Disorder
- MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health: Postpartum Bipolar Disorder: Similar, But Not the Same?
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Bipolar DIsorder: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. May 8, 2026.
- Menculini G et al. Sex Differences in Bipolar Disorders: Impact on Psychopathological Features and Treatment Response. Frontiers in Psychiatry. June 9, 2022.
- Bipolar Disorder. World Health Organization. September 8, 2025.
- Kayrouz R et al. A Review of the 257 Meta-Analyses of the Differences Between Females and Males in Prevalence and Risk, Protective Factors, and Treatment Outcomes for Mental Disorder. BMC Psychiatry. July 3, 2025.
- Bipolar Disorder. Office on Women’s Health. February 3, 2025.
- What Are Bipolar Disorders? American Psychiatric Association.
- Adnane L et al. Bipolar Affective Disorder Type I. Johns Hopkins Medicine. August 22, 2025.
- Sanches M. Expert Q&A: Bipolar Disorder. American Psychiatric Association.
- Rapid Cycling. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
- Bipolar Disorder in Men and Women: What’s the Difference? International Bipolar Foundation.
- Sperry SH et al. Co-Occurring Bipolar and Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Impacts, Biopsychosocial Mechanisms, Assessment, and Treatment. Focus. April 15, 2025.
- Wu Z et al. Clinical Distinctions in Symptomatology and Psychiatric Comorbidities Between Misdiagnosed Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder Versus Major Depressive Disorder. BMC Psychiatry. May 10, 2024.
- Viguera AC. Response to Lithium Maintenance Treatment in Bipolar Disorders: Comparison of Women and Men. Bipolar Disorders. July 7, 2008.
- Morgan C et al. Identifying Prior Signals of Bipolar Disorder Using Primary Care Electronic Health Records: A Nested Case–Control Study. British Journal of General Practice. March 2024.
- Perinatal Mental Health: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment. Postpartum Support International.
- Dolman C. The Impact of Reproductive Events on Women With Severe Mental Illness: We Need More Research and Professional Awareness. World Psychiatry. May 15, 2025.
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