Clinical differences between bipolar and unipolar depression.
It is commonly -- but wrongly -- assumed that there are no important differences between the clinical presentations of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. Here we compare clinical course variables and depressive symptom profiles in a large sample of individuals with major depressive disorder (n=593) and bipolar disorder (n=443). Clinical characteristics associated with a bipolar course included the presence of psychosis, diurnal mood variation and hypersomnia during depressive episodes, and a greater number of shorter depressive episodes. Such features should alert a clinician to a possible bipolar course. This is important because optimal management is not the same for bipolar and unipolar depression.
Forty
Liz
L
Department of Psychological Medicine, Wales School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK.
Smith
Daniel
D
Jones
Lisa
L
Jones
Ian
I
Caesar
Sian
S
Cooper
Carly
C
Fraser
Christine
C
Gordon-Smith
Katherine
K
Hyde
Sally
S
Farmer
Anne
A
McGuffin
Peter
P
Craddock
Nick
N
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales