Clinical Characterization of Depressive Mixed State in Bipolar-I Patients: Pisa-San Diego Collaboration

In this study, the authors attempt to delineate the clinical profile of depressive mixed states in the context of bipolar I disorder. In the Pisa day centre, 195 bipolar I patients were studied. Of the 159 patients identified by Pisa criteria as mixed state, 86 also met the criteria for major depressive episode; 32 met DSM III-R criteria for major depressive episode; the remaining patients were not included in the present comparisons. The 3 groups had close similarities in clinical & sociodemographic charactersistics such as age, gender distribution, & lifetime suicide attempts. The data confirm the existence of psychotic agitated depressive mixed states with flight of ideas, distinct from cyclic retarded pure bipolar depressive states. (41 refs.)