Manic Episode
Diagnostic Criteria
A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and
abnormally and persistently increased activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present
most of the day, nearly every day (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
B. During the period of mood disturbance and increased energy or activity, three (or more) of
the following symptoms (four if the mood is only irritable) are present to a significant degree
and represent a noticeable change from usual behaviour:
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 (i.e., purposeless non-goal-directed activity).
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 mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in social or
occupational functioning or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others,
or there are psychotic features.
D. The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of
abuse, a medication, and other treatment) or another medical condition.
Note: A full manic episode that emerges during antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication,
electroconvulsive therapy) but persists at a fully syndromal level beyond the physiological effect of
that treatment is sufficient evidence for a manic episode and, therefore, a bipolar I diagnosis.
Note: Criteria A–D constitute a manic episode. At least one lifetime manic episode is required for the
diagnosis of bipolar I disorder.
Palane Mohlala