BIPOLAR I DISORDER**

DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES

A. One or more Manic Episodes (or mixed Manic and Depressive Episodes)

B. May also present with one or more Major Depressive Episodes

(See page two of this site for definition of Major Depressive Episode)

MANIC EPISODE:

A. Abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).

B. Three or more of the following symptoms have persisted to a significant degree (four if the mood is only irritable):

1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity

2. Decreased need for sleep

3. More talkative than usual or pressured speech

4. Flight-of-ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.

5. Easily distracted by unimportant or irrelevant stimuli

6. Agitation or significant increase in activity

7. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., buying sprees; sexual indiscretions; foolish business investments)

C. The mood disturbance causes considerable impairment in functioning, or necessitates hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or because there are psychotic features (e.g., hallucinations, paranoia, disorganized thinking)

 BIPOLAR II DISORDER**

 DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES

A. Presence (or history) of one or more Major Depressive Episodes

B. Presence (or history) of at least one Hypomanic Episode (definition to follow)

C. There has never been a Manic Episode

D. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning

HYPOMANIC EPISODE:

A. A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days

Note: A Hypomanic Episode differs from a Manic Episode as follows:

* The length of time the symptoms persist is shorter (four days rather than an entire week).

* If the episode warrants hospitalization, then the episode is deemed a Manic Episode regardless of the number of days the person is symptomatic, in which case the diagnosis would be Bipolar I Disorder.

* A Hypomanic Episode in not severe enough to cause significant impairment in functioning

Note: Bipolar Disorder used to be called "Manic Depression." The name was changed in 1980 in part because of the negative connotations associated with the term "Manic Depression."

**Adapted from: American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, pp. 362; 365; 382; 397.