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Historical Underpinnings of Bipolar Disorder Diagnostic Criteria

Authors :
Brittany L. Mason
E. Sherwood Brown
Paul E. Croarkin
Source :
Behavioral Sciences, Vol 6, Iss 3, p 14 (2016)
Publication Year :
2016
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2016.

Abstract

Mood is the changing expression of emotion and can be described as a spectrum. The outermost ends of this spectrum highlight two states, the lowest low, melancholia, and the highest high, mania. These mood extremes have been documented repeatedly in human history, being first systematically described by Hippocrates. Nineteenth century contemporaries Falret and Baillarger described two forms of an extreme mood disorder, with the validity and accuracy of both debated. Regardless, the concept of a cycling mood disease was accepted before the end of the 19th century. Kraepelin then described “manic depressive insanity” and presented his description of a full spectrum of mood dysfunction which could be exhibited through single episodes of mania or depression or a complement of many episodes of each. It was this concept which was incorporated into the first DSM and carried out until DSM-III, in which the description of episodic mood dysfunction was used to build a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Criticism of this approach is explored through discussion of the bipolar spectrum concept and some recent examinations of the clinical validity of these DSM diagnoses are presented. The concept of bipolar disorder in children is also explored.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2076328X
Volume :
6
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Behavioral Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.478568d6d9dc42999c3cc382091153f1
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6030014