Affective Disorders

Question 1

What are mood disorders?

Answer 1

Disorders of mental status and function where altered mood is a core feature
A term referring to states of depression and of elevated mood
Commonest group of mental disorders

Question 2

What is depression?

Answer 2

Symptom = an emotion within the range of normal experiences - symptom complaint with similarities to fatigue and pain, a form of sadness

Question 3

When does depression become abnormal?

Answer 3

No clear division
Consensus problematic - matter of perspective
Emphasis on
-Persistence of symptoms
-Pervasiveness of symptoms
-Degree of impairment
-Presence of specific S+S's

Question 4

What are the 3 categories of depressive illness?

Answer 4

Psychological (changes in mood and thought)
Physical (changes in bodily function and psycho-motor function)
Social (loss of interests, irritability, apathy, withdrawal)

Question 5

What is agitation?

Answer 5

State of restless overactivity

Question 6

What is anhedonia?

Answer 6

Loss of ability to desire pleasure from experiences

Question 7

What is apathy?

Answer 7

Loss of interest in surroundings

Question 8

What is anxiety?

Answer 8

Unplesant emotion in which thoughts of apprehension or fear predominates

Question 9

What is depression?

Answer 9

Emotion in which sadness or unhappiness predominates

Question 10

What is retardation?

Answer 10

slowing of motor responses including speach

Question 11

What is a stupor?

Answer 11

State of extreme retardation but consciousness is intact.

Question 12

How do you diagnose depression?

Answer 12

Lasts for at least 2 weeks
No hypomanic or manic episodes
Not attributed to psychoactive substances
If psychotic or stupor then severe with psychotic symptoms = exclude other psychotic illnesses

Question 13

What is the somatic syndrome?

Answer 13

Marked loss of interest or pleasure
Lack of emotional reactions
Waking 2 hrs before normal time
Depression worse in the morning
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Marked loss of libido

Question 14

What is post-natal depression?

Answer 14

Increased risk of admission 30 days following childbirth
75% in 2 weeks
10% = MDD

DD = normal reaction, SAD, bipolar, stroke, tumour, infections, drugs

Question 15

What are the treatments for depression?

Answer 15

Antidepressants 
-SSRI's
-TCA's
-MAO inhibitors
Psychological treatments = CBT, IPT
Physical treatments = ECT and psychosurgery

Question 16

What are the measurement tools for mood disorders?

Answer 16

SCID
SCAN

HDRS, BDI-II, HADS, PHQ-9

Question 17

What is mania?

Answer 17

A term used to describe the mood that can range from near-normal to severe
Rarely a symptom, often associated with grandiose ideas, disinhibition, loss of judgement with similarities to the mental effects of drugs
Inappropriate elevated mood

Question 18

What are the types of mania?

Answer 18

Hypomania = lesser degree of mania with no psychosis and no severe disruption

Mania (with or without psychosis) = 1W severe enough to disrupt ordinary work and activities

Question 19

What tools are used to measure mania?

Answer 19

SCID
SCAN

YMRS

Question 20

What are the treatments for mania?

Answer 20

Antipsychotics
Mood stabilisers
Lithium
ECT

Question 21

What is bipolar disorder?

Answer 21

2+ episodes of depression and mania/hypomania
If no mania/hypomania = recurrent depression
If no depression = hypomania or bipolar