Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsKey FeaturesUnipolar vs. Bipolar DepressionTreatment DifferencesRisksRecurrent Episodes
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Key Features
Unipolar vs. Bipolar Depression
Treatment Differences
Risks
Recurrent Episodes
This article will cover the key features of unipolar depression, similarities and differences between unipolar depression and bipolar depression episodes, treatment differences, and the risks of unmanaged unipolar depression. We’ll also cover what to know about recurrent and treatment-resistant unipolar depression episodes.
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What Is Clinical Depression, and How Does It Feel?
Key Features of Unipolar Depression
Unipolar depression is a serious mood disorder affecting all aspects of a person’s life. It is another name for major depressive disorder. To be diagnosed with unipolar depression/major depressive disorder, a person must experience some or all of the following key features most of the day, and nearly every day, for at least two weeks:
Emergency Mental Healthcare
Ifyou or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, text or call988to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. When online, visit988lifeline.orgfor its chat line.
What Is Suicide?
Type of Depression and Comorbidities
Unipolar depression is one of the most commontypes of depression.It has a highcomorbidityrate, which means it’s common to receive a diagnosis of unipolar depression and another depressive disorder or other psychiatric illness.
Some of the most common comorbidities of unipolar depression include:
Unipolar vs. Bipolar Depression Episodes
People with unipolar depression or bipolar disorder both experience depression or depressive episodes. The most significant difference between unipolar depression and bipolar disorder is the presence or absence of mania or hypomania.
DiagnosisTo be diagnosed with bipolar disorder I, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania in their lifetime. Mania is a mood state of extremely elevated energy, excitement, and euphoria.Bipolar II disorderdiagnosis requires at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode. Hypomania is a milder form of mania but can also be highly disruptive to a person’s everyday functioning.
Diagnosis
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder I, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania in their lifetime. Mania is a mood state of extremely elevated energy, excitement, and euphoria.Bipolar II disorderdiagnosis requires at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode. Hypomania is a milder form of mania but can also be highly disruptive to a person’s everyday functioning.
Differences Between Hypomania and Mania
Symptom Differences
People with bipolar disorder I are said to experience a higher number or greater frequency of depressive episodes than people with unipolar depression. They also report a lower quality of life despite receiving significantly more treatment. Compared to people with unipolar depression, people with bipolar disorder are also said to:
Additional differences include people with unipolar depression experiencing more sleep loss, anxiety, and appetite loss than people with bipolar depression.
What Are Delusions?
Symptom Similarities
People living with unipolar depression and people experiencing bipolar depression episodes share similar experiences. Depression is the predominant mood state in both conditions.This can make it challenging to tell the difference between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
The overlap is so strong that clinical features of depressive episodes in unipolar depression and bipolar disorder depressive episodes are identical in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Key symptom similarities include:
What Is Fatigue?
Unipolar vs. Bipolar Depression Treatment Differences
The major difference between treatment for unipolar depression and bipolar depression is the type of medication prescribed. Moderate to severe unipolar depression is treated with antidepressant medications, which are ineffective in treating depression in people with bipolar disorder.Bipolar depression is most commonly treated withmood stabilizers such as lithium.
Antidepressant medication is not recommended for people with bipolar disorder and is associated with adverse effects, including:
Treatment-Resistant DepressionIf you’re being treated for depression and symptoms are not improving, you may have asubtype of depression known as treatment-resistant depression. People can be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression after trying two different antidepressant medications without symptoms resolving. However, a lack of response to typical depression treatment may also be a sign of bipolar disorder. Implanting electrodes in the brain may be recommended for treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression.Recurrent unipolar depression episodes increase the risk of disability, suicide, and comorbid physical health problems.
Treatment-Resistant Depression
If you’re being treated for depression and symptoms are not improving, you may have asubtype of depression known as treatment-resistant depression. People can be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression after trying two different antidepressant medications without symptoms resolving. However, a lack of response to typical depression treatment may also be a sign of bipolar disorder. Implanting electrodes in the brain may be recommended for treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression.Recurrent unipolar depression episodes increase the risk of disability, suicide, and comorbid physical health problems.
How Depression Is Treated
Risks of Unmanaged Unipolar Depression
People may experience unmanaged unipolar depression if they are undiagnosed (i.e., they don’t know they have depression so they don’t seek help for their symptoms) or if they are untreated (i.e., they are not taking medication or engaging in psychobehavioral treatments like talk therapy).
Risks of undiagnosed and untreated unipolar depression include:
The Importance of Taking Prescribed Medications
Recurrent Unipolar Depression Episodes
Recurrence is the return of at least five symptoms of depression and after two consecutive months without major depressive episode symptoms. People with unipolar depression may experience recurrent depression episodes for many different reasons, including genetic factors, the severity of their last depressive episode, and discontinuation of treatment.
Study: There’s No Perfect Way to Wean Yourself off of Antidepressants
Summary
Living with untreated depression for any reason increases the risk of comorbid conditions, recurrent depression episodes, and suicide. People may experience recurrent depressive episodes if they have a family history of major depressive disorder, a severe previous depression episode, or if they stop treatment. Recurrent depression increases the risk of disability, suicide, and comorbid conditions.
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