3 - Affective/Mood Disorders Flashcards
What is a mood disorder and some examples of these disorders?
Mental health problem that primarily affects someones emotional state
It is a disorder in which a person experiences long periods of extreme happiness, extreme sadness, or both
Examples: Depression, Bipolar, SAD, Dysthymia
What is the epidemiology of depression?
Fourth cause of disability worldwide with 5.8% of men and 9.5% women experiencing an episode in a 12 month period
300 million people at any given time
Accounts for a third of GP consultations
What are some risk factors for depression?
- Chronic conditions
- History of depression or other mental health illness
- Female sex
- Medication (e.g. corticosteroids)
- Older age
- Recent childbirth
- Psychosocial issues (e.g. unemployment, homelessness)
- Genetic factors
- History of childhood abuse
- History of head trauma
What are some of the symptoms of depression?
- Low mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in daily life
- Fatigue
- Loss of concentration
- Psychomotor retardation/agitation
- Poor appetite
- Disrupted sleep
- Decreased libido
- Suicidal ideation
How is a diagnosis of depression made?
- Must be 2 core symptoms for at least 2 weeks: Low mood and Little enjoyment/interest in things
- Must then have 2 typical/biological symptoms: Poor appetite, fatigue, disrupted sleep, psychomotor agitation or retardation, decreased libido, low concentration, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal ideation
How do you classify the severity of depression?
- Mild: few or no extra symptoms beyond the five to meet the diagnostic criteria
- Moderate: symptoms and impairment between mild and severe
- Severe: most or all the symptoms (see above) causing marked functional impairment with or without psychotic features
What is sub threshold depression?
- Subthreshold depressive symptoms: patients with a number of depressive symptoms not meeting the criteria described above
- Persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms: subthreshold depressive symptoms that persist for two years or more.
What are some depression questionnaires validated for use in primary care?
- PHQ9
- HADS
- BDI-II
What investigations should you do for someone you suspect is suffering from depression?
Need to do Ix to rule out secondary causes
- FBC
- LFTs
- Bone profile
- HbA1c
- Thyroid function tests
- Serum cortisol
- B12 / folate
- Syphilis serology
What are some differentials for depressive symptoms?
(Medical and Psychiatric differentials)
- Bipolar
- Anxiety
- Substance misuse
- Sleep disorders
- MS
- Dementia
- Adjustment disorder
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing’s
- Pancreatic cancer
- Drug SE’s e.g steroids, isotretinoin
What is adjustment disorder and how can you differentiate it from a major depressive episode?
“Subjective distress and emotional disturbance that interferes with social functioning and would not have arisen without a stressor”
Similar symptoms but lasts <6 months and has a cause e.g death of loved one, terminal illness, divorce, loss of job
Usually needs no treatment with antidepressants
How is depression managed in general terms?
- Assess suicide risk
- Biopsychosocial model: Antidepressants, Rule out secondary causes, CBT, Sleep hygiene, Follow up
How do you assess suicide risk?
Ask the person:
- Do you have thoughts about death or suicide?
- Do you feel that life is not worth living?
- Have you made a previous suicide attempt?
- Is there a family history of suicide?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, ask about their plans for suicide:
- Have you considered a method?
- Do you have access to the materials?
- Have you made any preparations (for example, written a note)?
Also ask about any protective factors, for example:
- What keeps you from harming yourself?
- Is there anything that would make life worth living?
Identify risk factors that increase the risk of suicide:
- Previous suicide attempts or self-harm.
- Active mental illness.
- Family history of mental disorder, suicide or self-harm.
- Male gender.
- Being unemployed.
- Physical health problems.
- Living alone.
- Being unmarried.
- Drug/alcohol dependence.
- Feelings of hopelessness.
- Exposure to suicidal behaviour
- Occupation
After assessing suicide risk, what do you do if someone is high or low risk?
High risk: Refer urgently to specialist secondary care mental health services
Low risk: Create safety plan in case it deteriorates
How do we treat depression based on the severity?
Encourage all people to do physical activity e.g yoga and address co-morbid issues e.g alcohol and smoking
Mild or Persistent Subthreshold:
- Low intensity psychological interventions
- Antidepressants: Only in those who fail above or previous history of depression
- Sleep Hygiene
- Follow up: 2 weeks
Moderate-Severe
- High Intensity Psychological Intervention PLUS
- Antidepressants
- Sleep hygeine
- Follow up: Within 1 week of starting SSRI then weekly for a month
What are some examples of high and low intensity psychological interventions?
Low Intensity
- Guided self help e.g Headspace, books, websites
- Group CBT
- Computerised CBT
High Intensity
- Individual CBT — usually given over 16–20 sessions over 3–4 months.
- Interpersonal therapy
- Behavioural activation
- Couples therapy — usually consists of 15–20 sessions over 5–6 months.
What are some sleep hygiene tips?
Sleep environment.
- Not too hot, cold, noisy, or bright.
- The bedroom should only be used for sleep and intimacy.
- Checking or watching the clock throughout the night should be avoided.
- Avoid phones 2 hours before bed because of blue light
Regular sleep schedules
- Waking up and getting out of bed at the same time every morning including weekends and after a poor night’s sleep
- Increase exposure to bright light in the morning.
- Avoiding napping during the day.
- Relaxation before going to bed (for example reading a book or having a bath).
Limiting/avoidance of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
- Caffeine should be avoided after midday and nicotine, alcohol, and large meals within 2 hours of bedtime
- Avoid exercise 4 hours before bed
What is important to ask someone before they are given antidepressants?
Are you taking St John’s Wort?
Effective and less side effects than SSRIs but enzyme inducer so reduces efficacy of other drugs e.g COCP
When is ECT used for depression and what are the side effects?
Used when severe symptoms and adequate trial of other treatments has failed. When life-threatening or rapid response needed e.g prolonged manic episode, catatonia
Given 2 sessions weekly for 6 weeks and carry on antidepressants to prevent recurrence
SEs: Memory less, retrograde amnesia, confusion, headaches, anaesthetic side effects, damage to teeth
How does ECT work?
Inducing seizure interrupts hyperconnectivity between areas of the brain that maintain depression
How do you choose which antidepressant to prescribe?
Collaborative decision with patient
- Toxicity: avoid certain antidepressants in patients with suicide risk or a history of overdose (e.g. tricyclics, venlafaxine)
- Side effects: antidepressants may cause weight gain, sexual dysfunction.
- Interactions: review any current medication and potential interactions
What advice do you need to give somebody when they start antidepressants?
- May worsen anxiety at first
- Suicide risk
- Can take up to 6 weeks to see effect
- Need to continue for at least 6 months after recovery to reduce recurrence
- Titrate dose up slowly
- If no response after 4 weeks switch antidepressant
- Do not stop without medical advice
What are the first to fourth line antidepressants?
First Line: SSRI such as Sertraline (good in IHD), Fluoxetine (good <18) or Citalopram
Second Line: Alternate SSRI
Third Line: Mirtazapine (NaSSA) or Venlafaxine (SNRI)
Fourth Line: Lithium as an adjunct to other antidepressants, be aware of toxicity
What monitoring needs to be done with SSRIs?
They are the safest class of antidepressants
- FBC (look for anaemia due to GI bleeding, avoid NSAIDs)
- U+Es (hyponatraemia)
- ECG (long QT dose dependent in Citalopram use that can turn to Torsades De Pointes)