Mood disorders: bipolar depression: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Mood disorders: bipolar depression

Sample item

Why should antidepressant monotherapy be used cautiously in bipolar I depression?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. It can precipitate mania or rapid cycling

Antidepressants can destabilise bipolar illness, especially without a mood stabiliser. Treatment plans consider mood stabilisation and the individual's polarity and episode history.

Option by option

  • A. It produces immediate dependence

    Antidepressants do not cause immediate physiologic dependence.

  • B. It can precipitate mania or rapid cycling (correct)

    Correct. Switching into mania is the important risk.

  • C. It blocks lithium clearance

    This is not the central reason for caution.

  • D. It invariably causes agranulocytosis

    Agranulocytosis is associated with drugs such as clozapine, not a universal antidepressant effect.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is B, It can precipitate mania or rapid cycling. Antidepressants can destabilise bipolar illness, especially without a mood stabiliser.

Why is "It produces immediate dependence" not the answer?

Antidepressants do not cause immediate physiologic dependence.

Why is "It blocks lithium clearance" not the answer?

This is not the central reason for caution.

Why is "It invariably causes agranulocytosis" not the answer?

Agranulocytosis is associated with drugs such as clozapine, not a universal antidepressant effect.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Mood disorders: bipolar depression in Psychiatry. Treatment plans consider mood stabilisation and the individual's polarity and episode history.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Mood disorders: bipolar depression?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.