title: Clinical and demographic features of mood disorder subtypes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate demographic, clinical and symptomatologic features of the following mood disorder subtypes: bipolar disorder I (BP-I); bipolar disorder II (BP-II); major depressive disorder, recurrent (MDR); and major depressive episode, single episode (MDSE). A total of 1832 patients with mood disorders (BP-I=863, BP-II=141, MDR=708, and MDSE=120) were included in our study. The patients were assessed using structured diagnostic interviews and the operational criteria for psychotic illness checklist (n=885), the Hamilton depression rating scale (n=167), and the social adjustment scale (n=305). The BP-I patients were younger; had more hospital admissions; presented a more severe form of symptomatology in terms of psychotic symptoms, disorganization, and atypical features; and showed less insight into their disorder than patients in the other groups. Compared with the major depressive subgroups, BP-I patients were more likely to have an earlier age at onset, an earlier first lifetime psychiatric treatment, and a greater number of illness episodes. BP-II patients had a higher suicide risk than both BP-I and MDSE patients. MDSE patients presented less severe symptomatology, lower age at observation, and a higher number of males. The retrospective approach and the selection constraints due to the inclusion criteria are the main limitations of the study. Our data support the view that BP-I disorder is quite different from the remaining mood disorders from a demographic and clinical perspective, with BP-II disorder having an intermediate position to MDR and MDSE, that is, as a less severe disorder. This finding may help in the search for the biological basis of mood disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vita-Salute University, San Raffaele Institute, Via Luigi Prinetti 29, Milan, Italy. serretti.alessandro@hsr.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serretti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandelli
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cusin
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smeraldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011599:Psychopathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology