Bipolar 2 Disorder
Bipolar 2 Disorder
Bipolar 2 Disorder
DISORDER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To understand the diagnostic criteria for
Bipolar Disorder type II
2. To become familiar with demographic and
clinical findings associated with Bipolar
Disorder type II
3. To become familiar with treatment options for
Bipolar Disorder type II
WHAT IS BIPOLAR II
DISORDER?
•Is defined by a pattern of
depressive episodes shifting back
and forth with hypomanic
episodes, but no full – blown manic
or mixed episodes.
BIPOLAR
DISORDER II
Bipolar II disorder is similar to bipolar I disorder
except that mania is absent in bipolar II
disorder.
Psychosocial Factors:
1. Psychodynamic Viewpoint. According to this view, manic and
depressive disorders may be viewed as two different but related
defence oriented strategies for dealing with severe stress. Manic
patients try to escape their problems by a flight into reality. They
try to avoid the pain of their inner lives through outer world
distractions. Such people may involve themselves in countless
number of activities, but not necessarily with true enjoyment. They
try to deny the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and play
their role with competency.
Other Psychosocial Factors:
1. Stressful Life Events. Studies have found a significant
association between the occurrence of high levels of stress
and the experience of manic, hypomanic or depressive
episodes. One of the studies found that patients with more
prior episodes were likely to have more episodes after the
occurrence of major stressors, than the patients with fewer
prior episodes. (Hammen & Gitbin,1997). Patients who
experienced negative vents took, on an average, three
times longer to recover from an episode, than those
without negative events( Johnson & Miller, 1997). This is
because stressful events seem to disturb the critical,
biological rhythms, which play an important role in mood
disturbances.
2. Personality characteristics. Personality and cognitive
variables may interact with stress and determine the
likelihood of relapse. For example highly introverted and
obsessional individuals are more responsive to stress and
mood disturbances, individuals with a pessimistic attribution
style and who also face negative life events show an
increase in depressive symptoms.
3. Family. If a person has lost someone or both the parents
before the age of five, or if someone has lost his father
between age of 0-14 years, then that person is predisposed
for depression. Feelings inferiority in the family, an antisocial
model in the family and excessive parental demands, also
predispose a person towards mood disturbances.
Sociocultural Factors:
In one of the earlier studies by Carothers(1947, 1951, 1959),
he found manic disorder to be fairly common among East
Africans but depressive disorder was rare. Incidence rate
found in the U.S. was opposite to the trend. The reason for this
was that in Africa individuals were not held responsible for
their failures and misfortunes. However, much has changed in
Africa since Carothers made these observations. Recent
data suggests that as societies take on the ways of western
culture , they become more prone to developing Western
style mood disorder (Marsella, 1980). Mood disorders are
found to be more in urban than rural areas and more high
than the low socio-economic class.
DSM-V DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR BIPOLAR II
DISORDER
For a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder, it is necessary to meet the following
criteria for a current or past hypomanic episode and the following criteria
for a current or past major depressive episode:
Hypomanic Episode
A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or
irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased activity or
energy, lasting at least 4 consecutive days and present most of the day,
nearly every day.
B. During the period of mood disturbance and increased energy and activity,
three (or more)of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the
mood is only irritable), represent a noticeable change from usual behavior,
and have been present to a significant degree:
1. Inflated self esteem or grandiosity.
2. Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep).
3. More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking.
4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.
5. Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant
external stimuli), as reported or observed.
6. Increase in goal directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or
sexually) or psychomotor agitation.
7. Excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful
consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual
indiscretions, or foolish business investments).
C. The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is
uncharacteristic of the individual when not symptomatic.
D. The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by
others.
E. The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or
occupational functioning or to necessitate hospitalization. If there are
psychotic features, the episode is, by definition, manic.
F. The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance
(e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication or other treatment).