Short film casts light on bipolar disorder

People affected by extreme mood swings or sudden out-of-character behaviour could be suffering from bipolar affective disorder, doctors warned yesterday as they launched a short film to raise awareness of the condition.

The disorder, which is also known as manic depression, affects one in 20 people in Hong Kong, but many have successful careers, said Institute of Brain Medicine director Professor Tang Siu-wa.

Tang said the condition tended to make sufferers more sensitive to their surroundings and more creative, and could actually help some people - including artists, writers and actors - with their work. He named artist Vincent van Gogh and English crime novelist Agatha Christie as examples.

Tang said patients should seek diagnosis and treatment to avoid deterioration of their condition, which could drive them to extreme, erratic behaviour and affect their lives.

To raise public awareness on the condition, Tang's institute and the Society for Advancement of Bipolar Affective Disorder yesterday launched a short film, entitled .

The film - which stars local actress Maggie Cheung Ho-yee and actors David Chiang Da-wei and Samuel Kwok Fung - is about a woman who is affected by her mood swings because of the disorder, and her journey towards overcoming them with the help of her family and friends.