title: Can unipolar and bipolar pediatric major depression be differentiated from each other? A systematic review of cross-sectional studies examining differences in unipolar and bipolar depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While pediatric mania and depression can be distinguished from each other, differentiating between unipolar major depressive disorder (unipolar MDD) and bipolar major depression (bipolar MDD) poses unique clinical and therapeutic challenges. Our aim was to examine the current body of knowledge on whether unipolar MDD and bipolar MDD in youth could be distinguished from one another in terms of clinical features and correlates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was conducted on studies assessing the clinical characteristics and correlates of unipolar MDD and bipolar MDD in youth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four scientific papers that met our priori inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. These papers reported that bipolar MDD is distinct from unipolar MDD in its higher levels of depression severity, associated impairment, psychiatric co-morbidity with oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder and anxiety disorders, and family history of mood and disruptive behavior disorders in first-degree relatives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though we examined a sizeable and diverse sample, we were only able to identify four cross sectional informative studies in our review. Therefore, our conclusions should be viewed as preliminary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings can aid clinicians in differentiating the two forms of MDD in youth.
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: muchida@partners.org.
authors: Mai
authors: M
authors: Uchida
authors: Sant׳Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, NESMOS Department, Rome, Italy; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Serra
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States.
authors: Lazaro
authors: L
authors: Zayas
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Boston, MA, United States.
authors: Tara
authors: T
authors: Kenworthy
authors: SUNY Upstate Medical University, Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, United States.
authors: Stephen V
authors: SV
authors: Faraone
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Biederman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Major depressive disorder; Pediatric