Table 1.

Potential predictors of bipolar course in comparison to unipolar course [see also (17–22)].

Symptoms	Course	Family History
Presence of mixed symptoms*	Early age of onset	Bipolar Disorder
Atypical depression*	Abrupt onset/offset	Suicide
Lability of mood	Frequent episodes	Severe mental illness
Psychomotor retardation*	Shorter episodes
Pathological guilt	Post-partum episode
Psychotic symptoms	Recurrent episodic
Hyperthymic/cyclothymic temperament Catatonia*	Treatment resistance Seasonality*
	Abrupt onset response to antidepressant/increase dose

*These factors are present in some modified form in DSM V; the others require a broader understanding of the psychiatric literature.