Part A: Treatment Recommendations for Patients With Bipolar Disorder. Executive Summary of Recommendations. Psychiatric management. Acute treatment. Maintenance treatment. Formulation and Implementation of a treatment plan. Psychiatric management. Acute treatment. Maintenance treatment. Special Clinical Features Influencing the Treatment Plan. Psychiatric features. Demographic and psychosocial factors. Concurrent general medical conditions. Part B: Background Information and Review of Available Evidence. Disease Definition, Natural History and Course, and Epidemiology. Definition of bipolar disorder. Natural history and course. Epidemiology. Review and Synthesis of Available Evidence. Somatic treatments of acute manic and mixed episodes. Somatic treatments of acute depressive episodes. Rapid cycling. Maintenance treatment. Psychosocial intervention. Somatic therapies for children and adolescents. Part C: Research Needs. General principles. Acute treatment. Maintenance treatment. Psychosocial interventions. Individuals and organizations that submitted comments. References.