Have you been diagnosed with depression?

If you have recently been diagnosed with depression but have experienced additional symptoms and have a suspicion that it may be something other than depression, you may want to discuss this further with your doctor.

In this case, the questionnaire on this site would help you with your discussion to clarify whether it is indeed some thing other than depression.

Click here to take the questionnaire.

Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder is not uncommon

Bipolar Disorder is frequently unrecognised and misdiagnosed by medical practitioners, resulting in a significant number of patients not getting the best treatment.

In a major study, among adults with Major Depressive Disorder, 14% were classified as not having the correct diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. While MDD and diagnosed Bipolar Disorder are recognised as having considerable negative impact on quality of life, it was found that misdiagnosed patients have significantly lower quality of life than either MDD patients or diagnosed bipolar patients.¹

These misdiagnosed patients may receive ineffective treatment, which, in some cases, actually worsens the outcome, either by inducing manic or mixed states or by increasing mood cycling. Major contributors to misdiagnosis include incomplete history and lack of patient insight as well as presence of psychiatric co-morbidities, such as anxiety or substance use disorders. Careful screening for current and past symptoms of mania or hypomania, as well as close clinical follow-up, can help to reduce misdiagnosis.²

Misdiagnosis often complicates attempts at effective management of Bipolar Disorder. Another survey showed that 69% of patients with Bipolar Disorder were initially misdiagnosed. In more than one third of the cases, 10 years or more passed before a correct diagnosis was made.³

The consequences of misdiagnosis

The consequences of misdiagnosis can be profound. In the absence of effective treatment, patients may experience a greater number of recurrences or more long-term episodes. Not surprisingly, both of these can have profound effects on patient functioning, as well as medical costs. Recurrent mood episodes can substantially impair patients’ ability to maintain relationships as well as education and employment. Moreover, even after recovery, the episodes may have enduring and cumulative consequences. For example, a patient who loses jobs because depression makes it impossible to get to work on time, or because manic episodes lead to conflict with co-workers or even legal involvement, may find it increasingly difficult to find employment. Family members, friends, or partners may grow tired of unpredictable moods or early morning crises.²

Now take our questionnaire

If you think there is a chance that you may have been misdiagnosed, you should take our questionnaire (which was developed by mental health professionals) – and then discuss the results with your GP or mental health professional.

Some depression support groups

You may be also interested in visiting some specialist websites for further advice on how to cope with your depression or Major Depressive Disorder condition.

Click here for a list of links to depression support organisations

References

1. Awad et al: Quality of life among bipolar disorder patients misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2007; 9: 195-202)
2. Perlis R H: Misdiagnosis of Bipolar disorder. The American Journal of managed care 2005;11:9: sup 271-274)
3. Hirschfeld RM, Lewis L, Vornik LA. Perceptions and impact of bipolar disorder: how far have we really come? Results of the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association 2000 survey of individuals with bipolar disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2003;64:161-174