6. Mood Disorders Flashcards
Mood:
Pervasive and sustained internal emotional state
Affect:
External expression of current emotional content
Grief:
Normal reaction to loss; individual and cultural variations in experience. Intensity and duration varies, usually 6-12 months
Stages of grief
Denial -> Anger -> Bargaining -> Depression -> Acceptance
Depression
A change from normal (for that individual), that has been present for at least 2 weeks, causing significant distress or impairment of social/occupational/general functioning.
Causes of depression
- Neurotransmitter/neuroendocrine dysfunction
- Genetic predisposition
- Maladaptive thinking patterns
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Stressful life events
Beck’s cognitive theory of depression
Triangle: negative views about the world = negative views about the future = -II- self
Diagnostic criteria for depression
At least 1 core symptom present for 2 weeks (depressed mood, fatigue, anhedonia)
Plus: disturbed sleep, poor concentration, low self-confidence, low appetite, suicidal thoughts, guilt
Severity of depression
Mild – 4 symptoms
Moderate 5-6 symptoms
Severe 7+ symptoms
Clinical assessment for depression
- Screening questionnaires (PHQ9, Edinburgh postnatal depression scale)
- History and mental state examination
Bipolar affective disorder
A mood disorder characterised by episodes of depression, mania, hypomania or mixed affective states
Hypomania:
- Episode lasting <4 days
* No functional impairment, No psychotic symptoms
Mania:
- Episode lasting >7 days
* causes functional impairment, psychotic symptoms
Mixed affective states:
- Episodes lasting >14 days
* Either (hypo)manic + depressive at once OR alternating (hypo)manic/depressive symptoms
Both mania and hypomania symptoms:
Hallucinations, increased energy, irritability, disinhibition, inflated self-esteem
