International Society for Bipolar Disorders


The International Society for Bipolar Disorders is a non-profit organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it was founded June 17, 1999. The society focuses on research and education in bipolar disorders.
The society has a membership consisting of mental health professionals and patients and their family members representing 50 countries. The mission of the society is to advance the treatment of all aspects of bipolar disorder, thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life, through fostering international collaboration in education and research. The society hosts biennial professional meetings and offers educational programs. The official journal of the society is Bipolar Disorders and a subscription is included with membership.

History

The ISBD was founded at the 3rd International Conference on Bipolar Disorder, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in June 1999 by David J. Kupfer and Thomas Detre. In September 1999, the official peer-reviewed society journal, Bipolar Disorders, published its first issue.
The ISBD held its first meeting in Sydney, Australia in February 2004 with over 400 participants in attendance. The society held its second meeting in August 2006 in Edinburgh, Scotland with over 600 attendees., the society has over 800 members in 50 countries with an elected board representing 15 countries. The president is Willem Nolen.

Educational programs

The society supports the following educational initiatives:
The society organizes biennial meetings that provides updates on topics such as epidemiology, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapies, genetics, neurobiology, imaging research, and bipolar disorder in special populations.