4. Differences in the course
Age of onset,
Episode frequency,
Duration,
Severity
Course
5. Differences in the course
case-register
38000
participants
internationally
Course
(Weissman et al., 1996)
Age of onset
6. Differences in the course
the age of onset for
bipolar disorder was
6 years younger
than for that
of unipolar depression
Course
(Weissman et al., 1996)
Age of onset
7. Differences in the course
retrospective study
suggests that
bipolar disorder is
More depressive episodes
than unipolar disorder
Course
(Roy-Byrne et al., 1985)
Episode frequency,
8. Differences in the course
Several studies suggest that
bipolar depressions are
shorter and quicker to onset
than unipolar depression
Course
(Furukawa et al., 2000; Mitchell et al., 1992)
Duration
9. Differences in the course
bipolar disorder
more in females
than males
Course
(Weissman et al., 1996)
Gender
11. Differences in the course
Ahearn and Carroll
Course
Ahearn and Carroll (1996)
Severity
Unipolar Bipolar
Severity
& social impairment
12. Differences in the course
Ahearn and Carroll
Course
Ahearn and Carroll (1996)
Severity
Unipolar Bipolar
bipolar depressed participants
exhibiting
greater short-term mood variability
13. Differences in the course
Course
To sum-up
To sum-up
bipolar dep. 6 years younger unipolar dep.
Age of onset
bipolar disorder has More depressive episodes
Frequency
bipolar depressions are shorter and quicker to
onset
Duration
bipolar disorder more in females
than males
gender
equal severity &social impairment
greater short-term mood variability in
Bipolar dep.
Severity
19. Recent
studies
Symptoms differences
(Beigel & Murphy, 1971; Katz et al., 1982; Kuhs & Reschke, 1992)
Unipolar depression
more anxiety
more activity
More somatization
More appetite loss
More agitation
Less anhedonia
Drug
washout
Period
21. Sleep
suicidality
Symptoms differences = to sum up
anger
mood reactivity
melancholia
psychosis
psychomotor
retardation
not
consistent
Unipolar
Bipolar
Unipolar depression
more anxiety
more activity
More somatization
More appetite loss
More agitation
Less anhedonia
23. Psychosocial Reactivity differences
Reactivity to
social environment
• unipolar depression is a
reaction to life stressors
• bipolar depression is an
unfolding of endogenous,
biological processes.
25. correlated with symptom
severity in bipolar disorder
Psychosocial Reactivity differences
correlated with
symptom
severity in
unipolar
disorder
social
variables
family
environment
life stressors
psychological
variables
personality
cognition
Psychosocial
variables
Recent studies
27. Psychosocial Reactivity differences
Socio-
environmental
variables
Studies (less was prospective)
Life events bipolar dep.
11 – 28%
of participants experienced such an
event before a depressive episode
Life events
influence unipolar
depression
only
(Hunt, Bruce-Jones, & Silverstone, 1992; Malkoff-Schwartz et al., 1998; McPherson,)
32. Psychosocial Reactivity differences
psychological
variables
Personality
trait
can personality traits predict the
course of illness in bipolar
depression?
• Heerlein, Richter,
• Lozano & Johnson
(Heerlein, Richter, Gonzalez, & Santander, 1998; Lozano & Johnson, 2001)
neuroticism associated with increases in depressive
symptoms, regardless of whether the depression is
within unipolar or bipolar disorder.
37. Psychosocial Reactivity differences
To sum-up
Low social support
Negative life events
Bipolar dep.
Unipolar dep.
neuroticism
associated with
increases in
depressive
symptoms,
regardless of
whether the
depression is within
unipolar or bipolar
disorder.
Cognitive style during episode
low self-esteem (in both unipolar & bipolar dep).
bipolar disorder, associated with a negative cognitive style
Cognitive style after episode
higher self-esteem in bipolar disorder
the negative cognitions diminish
(in both unipolar & bipolar dep.