Abnormal - describe symptoms and prevalence of depression Flashcards
symptoms
criteria used in diagnosis to assess whether a patient is suffering from a particular disorder
symptoms of depression
must have at least 5 of these symptoms, observed over at least 2 weeks, to be diagnosed
affective symptoms:
- loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities
- extreme unhappiness
behavioural symptoms:
- observed psychomotor agitation/retardation (increase/decrease in restless movement)
cognitive symptoms:
- indecisiveness/concentration issues
- thoughts of death
- plans to commit suicide/suicidal ideation
somatic symptoms:
- significant weight loss/gain (change of 5+% body mass in a month)
- tiredness
- frequent insomnia/hypersomnia
when should you NOT heed symptoms of depression?
- if the person is grieving for the death of a relative or friend
- and if DSM is used to diagnose the person
- DSM dictates that depression symptoms observed within 2 months of a tragic event is normal
overall prevalence of depression
Kessler and Merikangas (2004):
- depression is the leading cause of disability in the USA between the ages of 15 and 44, with a lifetime prevalence of 16.6%
cultural prevalence of depression
Levav et al. (1997):
- Jewish men are overrepresented among male depression patients
- likely because they are more open to seeing a psychiatrist when they are feeling distressed
Andrade and Caraveo (2003):
- lifetime prevalence of depression varies across cultures
- 3% in Japan and 17% in the USA
gender prevalence of depression
Kessler and Merikangas (2004):
- women are more affected than men, and the difference appears to start around the age of 13
- in the US, the gender ratio of women and men with a diagnosis of depression is 1:3
Nicholson et al. (2008):
- Polish men: 20.4%
- Polish women: 32.9%
- Russian women: 33.7%
- should be noted that Nicholson et al. used self-report data, and may reflect reporting bias rather than genuinely higher rates of depression
