4 consecutive days) to meet criteria fo r a hypomanic episode. The criterion symp-
toms are as follows:
A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood
and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy.
B. During the period of mood disturbance and in creased energy and activity, three (or more)
of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable), represent a no-
ticeable change from usual behavior, and have been present to a significant degree:
1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
2. Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep).
3. More talkative than usual or pressured to keep talking.
4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.
5. Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external
stimuli), as reported or observed.
6. Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or
psychomotor agitation.
7. Excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful conse-
quences (e.g., the individual engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indis-
cretions, or foolish business investments).
C. The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharac-
teristic of the individual when not symptomatic.
D. The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.
E. The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupa-
tional functioning or to necessitate hospitalization. If there are psychotic features, the
episode is, by definition, manic.