Bipolar and related disorders

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

Unipolar (depression) and Bipolar (mania)
mood disorders (abnormality of affect
emotions are amplified beyond normal parameters
can persist for very long periods
strong feelings of despair and emptiness
strong feelings of anger or euphoria

Question 2

Types: Unipolar

Answer 2

-unipolar depression
-sadness and hopelessness experienced most of the day most days
-ranges from mild-moderate-severe
-lack of pleasure, lack of appetite, sleep disturbances, exhaustion, fatigue, reduced concentration
-psychomotor agitation: pacing or handwringing

Question 3

Bipolar

Answer 3

-bipolar depression or ‘manic’ depression
-instead of remaining at one pole, the mood swings from depression to mania
-behaves differently in individuals
-can last for various periods of time, or even mixed

Question 4

Measures: Beck Depression Inventory

Answer 4

-psychometric testing
-21 item self report measure assesses symptoms of depression
-the score indicates the severity of the depression
-now BDI-II

Question 5

Evaluation: BDI

Answer 5

+high levels of validity and reliability
+quantitative data -> objectivity
-self-report -> lower validity bcs of bias

Question 6

Explanations

Answer 6

II

Question 7

Biological: genetic and neurochemical

Answer 7

-Oruc
-1st degree relatives 50% dna
-at least some evidence for genetics

Question 8

Oruc et al 1997

Answer 8

-42: 25 f
-31-70
-2 hospitals croatia
-control group of 40: no personal or family history of mental disorders
-16 of the bipolar group had at least 1 1st degree relative with a major affective disorder
-polymorphism in serotonin receptor 2c and the serotonin transporter genes

-serotonin is sexually dimorphic
-polymorphism in these genes could be responsible for an increased risk of developing bipolar in females only

Question 9

Cognitive: Beck

Answer 9

-negative views form a reality for that person
-the reason for low mood is an underlying process of incorrect information processing
-this irrational thinking is called ‘cognitive distortion’
-cognitive distortion is an automatic process that develops later in life through schemas
-adverse events activate the underlying assumptions and create negative bias towards new event
-the cognitive processes involved in depression can be understood in a triad: Negative views about oneself; Negative views about the world; Negative views about the future

Question 10

Learned helplessness/ attributional style

Answer 10

-learned helplessness is a behaviour that occurs as a result of a person having to endure an unpleasant situation that they perceive as inescapable
-they learn that they cannot control the situation and prevent suffering, so they cease to resist it
-‘attributional style’
-internal, stable, and global

Question 11

Seligmann et al 1988

Answer 11

-how well attributional style could predict depression
-39 with unipolar and 12 with bipolar participated during a depressive episode
-from the same clinic, mix of genders
-compared with a non-clinical group of 10
-prior they completed BDI and Attributional Style Questionnaire

-both groups were more pessimistic, negative attribution styles
-correlation between depression and pessimism

Question 12

Evaluation: Seligmann et al

Answer 12

+standardised measures
-correlation between BDI and ASQ meant there was a lack of cause and effect

Question 13

Evaluation: Oruc et al

Answer 13

-limited sample, lack of generalisability
-age is an extraneous variable
+collected dna and laboratory -> increased validity and removes researcher bias

Question 14

Treatment and management

Answer 14

III

Question 15

Biochemical: MAOI

Answer 15

-they inhibit the work of an enzyme monoamine oxidase responsible for removing norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin
-they have numerous side effects such as headaches, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, withdrawal

Question 16

Biochemical: SSRIs

Answer 16

-act on serotonin to stop it from being absorbed and broken down
-fewer less severe side effects

Question 17

ECT

Answer 17

-administered in short sessions, short term effect
-relapse rates are just as high as individuals who cease antidepressant use

Question 18

Cognitive restructuring

Answer 18

-Beck
-Cognitive restructuring aims to gain ‘entry into the patient’s cognitive organisation’
-talking therapy
-questioning and identifying illogical thinking in order to change them
-patients ‘reality check’ themselves continuously
-the therapy concludes once the patient is able to employ cognitive restructuring themselves

Question 19

REBT

Answer 19

-based on stoicism
-the individual is affected only by their perception of external things
-Albert Ellis: a person becomes depressed as a result of internal constructions
-in REBT the therapists explains ABC model
-to change irrational beliefs through ‘disputing’

Question 20

Evaluation: Biochemical

Answer 20

+large samples
+highly replicable
-ethical issues

Question 21

Evaluation: cognitive theory and REBT

Answer 21

+use of control groups -> validity

Question 22

Evaluation: ECT

Answer 22

-ethics
-high relapse rate