14th June 2021

A 25-year-old man is brought to A&E by the police

A 25-year-old man is brought to A&E by the police. They had attended a scene at a shopping centre, where he was found to be being aggressive to members of the public whilst promoting what he called his “life-changing knowledge of the world” using a megaphone. He reportedly struck a man who had laughed at him. On assessment, he is disorientated to time, place and person, talking incredibly quickly, and insistent that he hit the man because he was trying to steal his ideas.

His mother attends the department and tells you he is currently being investigated for bipolar disorder but has never acted like this before. She adds further collateral that his behaviour has been increasingly unstable over the past week, and she does not think he has slept for several days. 

Which of the following statements about the investigation of bipolar disorder is true?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.