Question

Another name of unipolar disorder is

• A. Depressive disorder
• B. Manic
• C. Manic-depressive disorder
• D. None of these

Hint:

Remember the prefixes to avoid confusion: {Uni} = one pole (only depression). {Bi} = two poles (depression AND mania). This makes it easy to link "unipolar" directly to "depressive disorder."

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks for an alternative name for "unipolar disorder." The terms "unipolar" and "bipolar" describe the nature of major mood disorders. The prefix "uni-" means one, and "bi-" means two, referring to the number of emotional "poles" (extremes) experienced.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Unipolar disorder means the individual experiences mood disturbances at only one pole, which is the depressive pole (i.e., feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest). Therefore, unipolar disorder is another name for Depressive Disorder, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The defining feature is the presence of one or more major depressive episodes without any history of manic or hypomanic episodes.
(B) Manic is a state or episode of elevated mood; it is not a disorder itself but a component of bipolar disorder.
(C) Manic-depressive disorder is the older term for Bipolar Disorder. It is called "bipolar" because individuals experience shifts between two poles: depression (the low pole) and mania (the high pole).
Step 3: Final Answer:
Since unipolar disorder involves only the single pole of depression, its other name is depressive disorder.