Criteria for bipolar spectrum disorder in patients with mood disorders during the current period of depression: comparison between unipolar and bipolar depression

Identifying the type of disorder in the early stages of the disease can be very helpful inchoosing the right treatment. Among them, one of the controversial topics, is the diagnosis and early intervention in mood disorders. This study seeks to examine the degree of ability of bipolar spectrum disorder criteria and distinction of the two depressed unipolar and bipolar groups. For this purpose, in a descriptive study, 114 depressive patients, inpatients and outpatients with mood disorders were selected from hospitals and clinics of Hazrat Rasoul in Tehran, Kargar nezhad in Kashan and Shamim in Mashhad. Data were collectedbased on SCID-I interview, investigating patient’s records and gathering information from the relatives of patients. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between the two groups of depressed unipolar and bipolar in terms of family history of bipolar disorder, recurrent depression episodes, short-term course of depression, early depression era, psychotic depression and hyperthymic personality. From the results of this study it canbe concluded that the criteria for bipolar spectrum disorder may somewhat distinctunipolar and bipolar depression. These criteria can be used as diagnostic criteria for unipolar and bipolar depression.