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What must a person have experienced at least once for bipolar disorder to be diagnosed?
AA depressive episode
BA psychotic episode
CA dissociative fugue
DA manic episode
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. A manic episode
1. Bipolar and related disorders form the group of mood disorders in which mania is the defining feature.
2. Diagnosis requires that the person has experienced a manic episode at least once in life.
3. Major depressive episodes are common in bipolar disorder but they are not required for the diagnosis, which is the trap in this item.
4. Reading the name as demanding both poles is the natural error, since the mood is said to alternate between extremes.
5. Psychotic episodes and dissociative fugue belong to other diagnoses and form no part of this requirement.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 15 "Psychological Disorders", section 15.7 Mood Disorders_
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