Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that has a significant emotional, social, and economic impact on those affected and their families. While progress has been made in diagnosing and identifying genetic components of bipolar disorder, some areas remain controversial, such as the boundaries between bipolar disorder and other conditions like schizophrenia. Studies have also found associations between certain personality traits and psychiatric conditions like depression and schizophrenia. The Genetics of Bipolar Disorder in Latino Populations study used both diagnostic criteria and quantitative personality measures to help identify genes involved in both bipolar disorder and related quantitative traits.