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Bipolar disorder is a manic–depressive illness, whereby individuals experience periods of depression characterised by low mood, and mania characterised by elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.[APA, 2013, pg. 124] Bipolar disorder must be distinguished from schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders.[APA, 2013] Schizophrenia is characterised by psychotic symptoms that occur in the absence of predominant mood symptoms, whereas in bipolar disorder these psychotic symptoms occur exclusively during a depressive or a manic episode.[APA, 2013, pg. 104]
References:
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition (DSM-5™). © American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
Cardno AG, Owen MJ. Genetic relationships between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40 (3): 504–515.
Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, et al. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005; 62 (6): 593–602.
Kessler RC, Birnbaum H, Demler O, et al. The prevalence and correlates of nonaffective psychosis in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Biol Psychiatry 2005; 58 (8): 668–676.