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Blood test could diagnose serious mental health condition but scientists are doubtful
The amount of time it takes to get an accurate diagnosis for a particular mental health disorder could get slashed from years to weeks if this blood test proves as accurate as its said to be.
Mental health isnt limited to mental illness. Nor is it limited to conditions like bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings. The Outrun, a drama film that came out this year, paints a moving and considered picture of bipolar disorder. If you have a lot of energy after sleeping very little, talk at a pace that people find dizzying, and make decisions impulsively, these could be signs of bipolar disorder. Or… they could also have nothing to do with mental illness. There now exists a blood test that might help you work out one way or the other.
Blood tests could help diagnose bipolar disorder based on biomarkers
An estimated 40 million people live with bipolar disorder globally. The diagnostic process usually takes between 7 and 10 years.
During this time, many people receive diagnoses for other conditions, such as depression. Wrong diagnoses lead to inappropriate treatments, leading to what Nature calls a grim landscape.
- IN CASE YOU’RE WONDERING: What is it like to have bipolar disorder?
Alcediag is among the companies aiming to provide an antidote to this far-from-ideal status quo.
It has devised a blood test costing just under $1,000, which is says can help identify bipolar disorder from depression using biomarkers. Biomarkers are found in blood, tissues, or other bodily fluids. Theyre physical, measurable things, unlike, for example, behaviors, thoughts, or mental processes.
Nature calls Alcediags test the first of its kind, and says it could slash the time it takes to get an accurate diagnosis from years to weeks.
It has been available in France since March this year and in Italy since October 2023. However, some researchers have expressed concern over the trials the tests success has been based on.�
Using biomarkers to test for mental illness is a fraught area
There is a role for investigating biomarkers, Nature quotes Suresh Sundram, a psychiatrist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, as saying. But it is a very fraught area.
The chief scientific officer of Alcediag a French startup based in Montpellier says there are different signatures among people with depression, people with bipolar, and people with neither.
During a 2022 study involving 410 participants, Alcediags test reportedly distinguished between the 160 people with depression and the 95 with bipolar disorder with high accuracy.
Until recently, researchers investigating mental health biomarkers in blood and other physiological sources had enjoyed little success, according to Washington Universitys Kayla Hannon.
Tests such as Alcediags could mark the beginning of a watershed moment in terms of diagnosing (and therefore treating) mental health conditions. Or, those who have expressed skepticism towards the new technology could be proved right.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by sending the letters MHA to 741741 or call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you’re struggling or in crisis.
You can also contact the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text Talk With Us to 66746.
In the UK, you can contact the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit Samaritans – Here to listen to find your nearest branch in the UK. You can text SHOUT to 85258 for help, or text YM if you’re under the age of 19. If you’re under 19 you can also call Childline on 0800 1111, and this number won’t appear on your phone bill.
