Bipolar disorders clinic

The bipolar disorders clinic was established in 2000.It continues to provide a specialist service to residents of NSW and the ACT. In essence, the clinic provides a consultancy service to health professionals (e.g. psychiatrists, general practitioners, psychologists) who are managing a patient with bipolar disorder and require a review of the diagnosis, a comprehensive review of the case and/or directions for better management of the patient. Our detailed assessment will give a refined diagnosis, provide management suggestions (concerning medications and psychological treatment), and advice to help the patient return to a productive lifestyle.

• The clinic does not take over patient management - this remains with the referring doctor. Clinic specialists will write to the referring doctor following consultation outlining suggested management options.
• No costs are involved as clinic psychiatrists accept the Medicare rebate (thus, we need a medical referral).
• The clinic is located within a research and training facility, therefore a trainee psychiatrist or medical student may sit in during the interview as part of their educational experience. It is the patient’s right to request that they do not sit in on the interview but we would appreciate agreement to this if possible.

The bipolar disorders clinic consists of two main stages that require attendance to the Black Dog Institute on one occasion from 9 am to 3 pm. Tea and coffee are provided during the breaks throughout the course of the day.

Patient Information Sheet [PDF, 117KB]

Referral form for your doctor to fill in electronically [Word doc]

Stage One - Structured Diagnostic Interview

Patients will be greeted by the research assistant who will be conducting the first stage of the assessment. The interview is a series of questions aimed at building a detailed understanding of the patient’s condition, and will take about two hours to complete. The questions focus on symptoms associated with bipolar disorder and other related conditions. The information collected in the interview is passed on to the psychiatrist who will be interviewing the patient in the second stage of assessment.

Stage Two - Consultation with a Psychiatrist

In the second stage, a consultant psychiatrist will undertake a comprehensive clinical assessment, which will take approximately one hour. The clinical assessment involves a global assessment of the patient’s condition covering relevant medical history, family medical history, past mood episodes, current and past treatments, social factors, and any other relevant information that may be impacting upon the patient.

Making an Appointment

Before attending the clinic we require a referral from the patient’s managing doctor (general practitioner or psychiatrist) that includes background and history of the bipolar disorder, as well as the specific advice (e.g. diagnosis, management) sought by that doctor or by any other managing health professional.

The referral can be faxed to (02) 9382 8510 or mailed c/- Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Black Dog Institute Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hospital Road, RANDWICK, NSW 2031. The clinic secretary will then call to confirm a time and date.

For any further enquiries, please contact the clinic secretary on (02) 9382 2991.