Original Paper

Differences in the ICD-10 Diagnostic Subtype of Depression in Bipolar Disorder Compared to Recurrent Depressive Disorder
Lars Vedel Kessing, Hans Mørch Jensen, Ellen Margrethe Christensen

Department of Psychiatry, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Address of Corresponding Author

Psychopathology 2008;41:141-146 (DOI: 10.1159/000113006)

  Key Words

• Bipolar disorder
• Depressive episode, severity
• Recurrent depressive disorder
• Psychosis
• ICD-10

  Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bipolar depression and patients with recurrent depressive disorder present with different subtypes of depressive episode as according to ICD-10. Sampling and Methods: All patients who got a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder, current episode of depression, or a diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder, current episode of depression, in a period from 1994 to 2002 at the first outpatient treatment or at the first discharge from psychiatric hospitalization in Denmark were identified in a nationwide register. Results: Totally, 389 patients got a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, current episode of depression, and 5.391 patients got a diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder, current episode of depression, at first contact. Compared with patients with a diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder, patients with bipolar disorder, current episode of depression, were significantly less often outpatients (49.4 vs. 68.0%), significantly more often got a diagnosis of severe depression (42.7 vs. 23.3%) or a diagnosis of depression with psychotic symptoms (14.9 vs. 7.2%). The rate of subsequent hospitalization was increased for patients with bipolar disorder, current episode of depression, compared with patients with a current depression as part of a recurrent depressive disorder (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.20-1.86). Conclusions: The results consistently indicate that a depressive episode is severer and/or more often associated with psychotic symptoms when it occurs as part of a bipolar disorder than as part of a recurrent depressive disorder.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Lars Vedel Kessing
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Copenhagen
Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark)
Tel. +45 3545 6237, Fax +45 3545 6218, E-Mail lars.kessing@rh.dk

  Article Information

Received: March 30, 2007
Accepted: June 20, 2007
Published online: January 11, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 18