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Presentation comparison
Urgent3 of 7 diagnoses compared
| CriteriaComparison detail | Bipolar depressionUrgent |
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Sustained mood syndrome with guilt, hopelessness, reduced energy, impaired concentration, change in sleep/appetite.
Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.
| Persistent depressive disorderUrgent |
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| Psychotic depressionUrgent |
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| Major depressive disorderEmergencyNot selected |
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| Substance- or medication-induced depressionUrgentNot selected |
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| Depression due to medical conditionUrgentNot selected |
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| GriefUrgentNot selected |
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| Why it fits | Recurrent depression, early onset, family history, atypical features, antidepressant activation | Chronic low mood, low self-esteem, pessimism, reduced vitality over years | Severe depression with nihilistic, somatic, guilt, punishment, poverty delusions | Low mood and/or anhedonia with biological, cognitive, functional change for 2+ weeks | Temporal link to intoxication, withdrawal, or medication change. Caused by: Alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, benzos, steroids, isotretinoin, interferon, beta blockers | First-onset depression with atypical cognitive/neurological features or systemic context. Look for: Hypothyroidism, Parkinson disease, stroke, Cushing, B12 deficiency, sleep apnoea | Loss-centred, wave-like, preserved self-worth vs full syndromal depression |
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| What argues against | Applies to the whole presentationReview locally. | ||||||
| Must-not-miss | Mixed features, high suicide risk, antidepressant-induced switching | Hidden chronic suicidality, double depression | High suicide risk, refusal of food/fluid, catatonia | Suicide risk, psychosis, catatonia, refusal of intake, severe self-neglect | |||
| Bedside question | Applies to the whole presentationSustained mood syndrome with guilt, hopelessness, reduced energy, impaired concentration, change in sleep/appetite. | ||||||
| Immediate action | Applies to the whole presentationStabilise and reassess. | ||||||
| Investigations | Applies to the whole presentationGuided by presentation. | ||||||
| Mimics / overlap | Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally. | ||||||
Scroll horizontally to review more candidate differentials. Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.
Review locally.
Sustained mood syndrome with guilt, hopelessness, reduced energy, impaired concentration, change in sleep/appetite.
Stabilise and reassess.
Guided by presentation.
Review overlap locally.
Recurrent depression, early onset, family history, atypical features, antidepressant activation
Mixed features, high suicide risk, antidepressant-induced switching
Chronic low mood, low self-esteem, pessimism, reduced vitality over years
Hidden chronic suicidality, double depression
Severe depression with nihilistic, somatic, guilt, punishment, poverty delusions
High suicide risk, refusal of food/fluid,
Safety first. Act early.
Create a concise comparison summary for documentation or handoff.
Source pending review
v10 | Local content only
Last updated: Pending review
Open a selected differential to review its clinical record.
Based on current selection
Safety first. Act early.
Create a concise comparison summary for documentation or handoff.
Source pending review
v10 | Local content only
Last updated: Pending review
| Late-life first depression, focal signs, endocrine features |
| Persistent functional collapse, suicidality, severe self-blame, psychosis |