There has been a rapid increase in treatment of people in their thirties and forties for bipolar disorder, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy and activity levels, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service said Monday.

According to its analysis of patients between 2006 and 2010, the number of people treated for bipolar disorder marked 55,000 in 2010, up 12,000 in four years. Women outnumbered men by 40 percent and showed an annual growth rate of 7.3 percent.

Those in their 40s made up the largest portion, or 21.4 percent, followed by those in their 30s, 50s and 20s.

The agency said bipolar disorder was more eminent among younger people while older age brackets tended to struggle with depression.

“The exact cause of the increase is unknown but we assume jobs, marriage and other social relations put extra stress on people. About 70 percent of the patients start with depression and develop bipolar disorders, so people need to put extra attention on their mental status,” a HIRA official stated in a press release.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)