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Bipolar Disorder DSM IV Diagnostic Criteria for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also known as bipolar affective disorder, manic-depressive disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness classified by psychiatrists as a mood disorder.

Following are the DSM IV diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder treatments.

Bipolar Disorder is diagnosed when a person has at least one episode of a manic or a hypomanic state. Following are the criteria for these states.

Manic Episode:

  • A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
  • During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
    • Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
    • Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep).
    • More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking.
    • Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
    • Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
    • Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.
      Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli).
    • Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation.
    • Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
  • The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode
  • The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
  • The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

Hypomanic Episode:

  • A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual nondepressed mood.
  • During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
    • Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
    • Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep).
    • More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking.
    • Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.
      Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli).
    • Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation.
    • Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., the person engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments).
  • The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.
  • The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.
  • The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.
  • The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).