by Nicole Evans M.D.

Created on: March 05, 2010   Last Updated: July 31, 2010

Major depression and manic depression are two forms of mental illness that are potentially debilitating if left untreated.  There are several differences between major depression and manic depression.  The actual diagnosis of major depression is known to the medical community as Major Depressive Disorder or Major Depressive Episode.  Manic depression, or manic-depressive disorder, also has a more accurate medical name known as Bipolar Type I disorder.

Both major depressive disorder and manic depression have specific signs and symptoms that must be present in order for an individual to be diagnosed with either disorder.  In addition, these signs and symptoms must have persisted for specific minimum amounts of time and/or must be severe enough to affect the lives of the individual to a significant degree.  The specific criteria for the diagnosis of major depression and manic depression are clarified below.

In order to diagnose an individual with a major depression or a major depressive episode the individual must display at least five of the nine recognized symptoms of major depression.  The recognized signs and symptoms of major depressive disorder are:

Sleep- may be either increased or decreased

Interest- decreased or lost (anhedonia)

Guilt or worthlessness

Energy- decreased energy or fatigue

Concentration- difficult or disturbed

Appetite- may be either increased or decreased

Psychomotor retardation- more often than psychomotor agitation

Suicidal ideations

In addition, at least one of the five symptoms of major depression must be depressed mood or anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure in things one used to enjoy).  The symptoms of major depressive disorder must persist for at least two weeks in order to qualify for this official diagnosis.

Major depression is distinctly different from manic-depressive disorder, also called Type I Bipolar disorder.  In fact, the term manic depression is a bit of a misnomer as the actual diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder does not even require an episode of depression. 

Type I Bipolar disorder is diagnosed by the occurrence of at least one manic episode that occurs with an elevated or irritable mood.  A manic episode has at least three of the signs and symptoms of mania if the mood is elevated, or four of these symptoms if the mood is irritable:

Distractibility

Insomnia or decreased need for sleep

Grandiosity (inflated self-esteem)

Flight of ideas

Agitation and/or increase in goal-directed Activity

Speech is pressured

Thoughtlessness and recklessness

The diagnosis of Bipolar Type I requires that the symptoms of a manic episode must last for atleast one week or that the symptoms are severe enough to require hospitalization.

Major depression and manic depression are frequently confused terms.  However, these two mental health conditions are quite different and have very specific diagnostic criteria that must be met before either diagnosis can be made. 

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