Bipolar Type 1 diagnosis requires at least one manic episode.

• A. It requires at least one manic episode.
• B. It requires depressive episodes.
• C. It requires hypomanic episodes.
• D. It requires cyclothymic symptoms.

Answer: (A)

Mania is the defining feature of Bipolar I disorder. A manic episode is a distinct period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with increased energy that lasts at least one week (or any duration if hospitalization is required) and is accompanied by several symptoms—such as inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, pressured or rapid speech, racing thoughts, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity, or risky behaviors—that cause marked impairment. The diagnosis does not require depressive episodes, and hypomanic episodes alone do not establish Bipolar I (they are more characteristic of Bipolar II when paired with depression). Cyclothymic symptoms are mood fluctuations that don’t meet full criteria for mania, hypomania, or major depression. Therefore, the presence of at least one manic episode is what defines Bipolar I, making the statement true.