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Unipolar and Bipolar Depression
When a person develops an episode of mania they are
conventionally identified as suffering from bipolar disorder,
but those patients with depressive episodes only are
diagnosed as having unipolar depression. This differentiation
is useful from a clinical perspective, as differing
treatment approaches are required for these disorders. The person who is in a manic phase of the
bipolar disorder will usually require ‘anti-manic’ treatment,
and treatment of any future depressive episodes
must be carefully undertaken, so as not to precipitate a
further manic episode.
Most patients experience multiple depressive episodes
over their lifetime, the episodes varying in length, severity
and impairment, and in the response to treatment.
Approximately 15% of consultations in general practice
are due to recurrent unipolar depression. Anxiety symptoms are a common feature in many people with
depression and may be so prominent that they ‘mask’ the
underlying depressive symptoms, which are found only
after direct questioning.
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