Mixed affective state
| Mixed affective state | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Mixed affective state, mixed state, mixed episode, mixed-manic episode, dysphoric mania |
| "Melancholy passing into mania", illustration portraying the "inbetween"-like state that those experiencing a mixed episode may feel | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
| Symptoms | Depressed mood, racing thoughts, agitation, anxiety, irritability/aggression, emotional lability, suicidal ideation |
| Differential diagnosis | Anxiety, borderline personality disorder, ADHD |
A mixed affective state, formerly known as a mixed state, mixed-manic episode, or mixed episode, has been defined as a state wherein features and symptoms unique to both depression and hypomania, including episodes of anguish, despair, self doubt, rage, excessive impulsivity and suicidal ideation, racing thoughts, heightened irritability, decreased need for sleep and other symptoms of depressive and manic states occur either simultaneously or in very short succession.
In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition nomenclature, a "mixed episode" no longer stands as an episode of illness unto itself; rather, the symptomology specifier "with mixed features" can be applied to any major affective episode (manic, hypomanic, or depressive), meaning that they are now officially also recognized in patients with bipolar II disorder and, by convention, major depressive disorder.