title: Early- versus late-onset bipolar II disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical features and the outcome between patients with early- and late-onset bipolar II disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy-nine consecutive outpatients with bipolar II disorder presenting for treatment of a major depressive episode.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duration of illness, severity of depression, recurrences, psychosis, chronicity, atypical features and comorbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with early-onset (before 20, 25 or 30 years of age) bipolar II disorder had a significantly longer duration of illness and more recurrences compared with patients with late-onset (after 20, 25 or 30 years of age) bipolar II disorder. All other variables were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indicators of worse outcome (severity of depression, psychosis, chronicity, comorbidity) were not significantly different between patients with early- and late-onset bipolar II disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Morgagni Public Hospital, Forlì, Italy. f.benazzi@fo.nettuno.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benazzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence