Table 2. Duration of different free interval types between mood episodes.
| Type of interval | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
D-M
(n=266) |
M-D
(n=307) |
D-D
(n=46) |
M-M
(n=219) |
F | df | p | |
| Interval duration in weeks, mean ± SD (range) | 107.41±175.32 (0-672) |
2.25±5.58 (0-36) |
93.67±92.93 (28-53) |
136.91±247.10 (8-936) |
33.1 | 3 | <0.0001 |
| Fisher’s LSD | |||||||
| Post hoc test | D-D vs. M-D | D-D vs. M-D | D-D vs. M-M | D-M vs. M-D | D-M vs. M-M | M-D vs. M-M | |
| p values | 0.12 | <0.0001 | 0.9 | <0.0001 | 0.0002 | <0.0001 | |
Legend: D-M: Depression-Mania/Hypomania free interval; M-D: Mania/Hypomania-Depression free interval; D-D: Depression-Depression free interval; df: degrees of freedom; F: F-value for F-tests (ANOVA); Fisher’s LSD: Fisher’s least square differences; M-M: Mania-Mania free interval. Significant p values are indicated in bold.
107.4±175.32 weeks, M-D 2.25±5.58 weeks, D-D 58.93±92.93 and M-M 136.91±247.10 weeks (p<0.0001) (Table 2). As evidenced by Fisher’s PLSD post hoc test, differences were present between D-D and M-D intervals (p<0.0001), the D-M and M-D intervals (p<0.0001), the D-M and M-M (p=0.0002), and the M-D and M-M intervals (p<0.0001) (Table 2). Furthermore, standard deviations were narrower for the M-D pattern, as predicted (Table 2).