Differences in the Clinical Picture in Women with a Depressive Episode in the Course of Unipolar and Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

Due to current depression prevalence, it is crucial to make the correct diagnosis as soon as possible. The study aimed to identify commonly available, easy to apply, and quick to interpret tools allowing for a differential diagnosis between unipolar and bipolar disorder. The study group includes women with long duration of unipolar (UP, N = 34) and bipolar (BP, N = 43) affective disorder. The diagnosis was established according to the DSM criteria using SCID questionnaire. Additional questionnaires were used to differentiate between UP and BP. BP patients had an earlier age of onset, were hospitalized more times, and more often had a family history of psychiatric disorders than UP (p-value < 0.05). Moreover, BP achieved a higher impulsiveness score and more frequently had experienced severe problems with close individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first publication presenting results of numerous questionnaires applied simultaneously in patients on clinical group. Several of them suggest the direction of clinical assessment, such as: the age of onset, family psychiatric burdens, history of stressful life events, learning problems, social and job relations. Further studies are necessary to confirm the utility of this approach.

Expression Biomarkers of Pharmacological Treatment Outcomes in Women with Unipolar and Bipolar Depression

“…Patients with BD also more frequently used lithium, anticonvulsant mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic drugs. These observations are in line with previous observations [32] and indicate that the treatment was carried out under national recommendations for each type of depression [33][34][35]. To monitor the influence of selected sociodemographic and laboratory variables on the diagnosis, we conducted the Spearman's rank correlation.…”

Development and validation of a nomogram based on lymphocyte subsets to distinguish bipolar depression from major depressive disorder

“…In the univariate model of our study, onset age, illness duration, and HAMD score were associated with the diagnosis of BD and MDD, consistent with previous studies ( 50 – 52 ). Even though these factors were not included in the final nomogram, their clinical significance cannot be disregarded.…”

Distinguish bipolar and major depressive disorder in adolescents based on multimodal neuroimaging: Results from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study®

“… 4 , 5 BD is one of the most severe and disabling psychiatric conditions affecting youth, significantly impairing an individual's ability to have relationships with family and friends, function at school, and cope with everyday life. 6 Clinically, the diagnosis of psychiatry disorders mainly relies on the clinician's subjective assessment of the patient's complaints and symptoms. Strikingly, it is estimated that approximately 69% of patients with BD are initially misdiagnosed as MDD, 7 which subsequently leads to inappropriate treatment, exacerbated manic symptoms, worse prognosis, increased health-care costs, and serious adverse events such as increased suicidality.…”