Bipolar Zeta-Jones in rehab spell

Catherine Zeta-Jones checked into rehab to be treated for bipolar disorder, her publicist has confirmed.

The Welsh actress, who is married to actor Michael Douglas, was treated after helping her husband battle against cancer.

Her publicist Cece Yorke said: “After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her bipolar II disorder.

“She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films.”

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a severe mood disorder.

Mental health experts say those with bipolar II experience longer episodes of depression, with less marked “up” periods than those with the classic form of the illness.

Zeta-Jones, 41, was treated at the Silver Hill psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, according to reports.

She is said to have checked in last Wednesday and spent five days at the hospital.

The Oscar winner, whose film credits include 'Chicago' and 'The Mask Of Zorro', attended the Golden Globes awards ceremony in Los Angeles alongside her husband in January this year.

Douglas, 66, announced in the same month he had beaten throat cancer, which was diagnosed in August last year.

In September, the actor revealed his cancer had spread when he told US talk show host David Letterman that a biopsy had revealed he had “stage four cancer”.

He underwent courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Zeta-Jones said at the time: “It makes me furious they didn’t detect it earlier.”

She told People magazine: “He sought every option and nothing was found. I knew something was up. He knew something was up.”

Zeta-Jones, originally from Swansea, has been supporting Douglas and their two children, Dylan Michael and Carys Zeta, throughout the ordeal.

Her admission to rehab suggests the stress has taken its toll.

Mark Davies, from the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Clearly this is a difficult time for Catherine Zeta-Jones and we send her our best wishes.

“Bipolar disorder is a distressing and potentially severe condition and she will need a lot of care and support as she seeks to tackle it.

“But it is possible to overcome mental illness with the right treatment.

“She deserves great credit for revealing her illness in this way. There is still a lot of stigma around mental health which often means that people stay silent and try to fight the illness on their own.

“When people such as Catherine Zeta-Jones speak out it makes a big difference to the millions of other people facing mental illness.

“It shows them that they are not alone and that mental illness can affect anyone, rich or poor, famous or otherwise.”

Mr Davies said the disorder can be triggered by a range of factors and that no individual case is the same.

He said the star is likely to be treated with a combination of medication and talking therapy, which is recognised as increasingly effective in cases of serious mental illness.

About 1% of the population suffers from bipolar disorder.

Zeta-Jones rose to fame in Britain in the early 1990s playing fresh-faced Mariette Larkin in the television adaptation of HE Bates’ 'The Darling Buds Of May'.

The actress gained TV and film roles in America, making her breakthrough in Hollywood as Elena Montero in 1998’s 'The Mask Of Zorro'.

She went on to star in gritty drugs trade drama Traffic (2000) alongside Douglas, whom she married in New York in November that year.

Her greatest success to date was her performance in 2002’s 'Chicago' as vampish killer Velma Kelly, for which she won the best supporting actress Oscar.

She was made a CBE in February, and attended the ceremony at Buckingham Palace with her husband and their two children.

Afterwards, she spoke of her happiness at being able to collect the award with Douglas “in good health to be able to enjoy it”.

In her interview, she added: “This past year has tested us on many levels.”

This week Douglas’s first wife Diandra took steps to revive a court battle for a bigger share of his fortune.