Causes of mood disorders

Question 1

Biological

Answer 1

familial and genetic influences
family studies- 1st degree relatives
twin studies - identical vs. fraternal twins
higher heritability for females
genetic contribution higher for bipolar disorder

Question 2

Neurotransmitter symptoms

Answer 2

serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine
permissive hypothesis - low serotonin -> other neurotransmitters become deregulated and contribute to mood irregularities

Question 3

Stress hypothesis

Answer 3

overactive HPA axis (hypothalami and pituitary)

elevated cortisol

Question 4

Psychological - Learned helplessness

Answer 4

lack of perceived control

why bother because I don’t have any control over it anyways

Question 5

Psychological - Depressive attributional style

Answer 5

how you explain why you did what you did
with depression its internal (failing feelings)
stable - consistent
global - extends across variety of issues

Question 6

Psychological - stressful life events

Answer 6

stress and bipolar disorder

Question 7

Psychological - Negative cognitive styles

-errors

Answer 7

arbitrary inference - error in thinking negative instead of positive
overgeneralization

Question 8

Psychological - Depressive cognitive triad

Answer 8

negative cognitions

self, future, world = all negative

Question 9

social and cultural

Answer 9

marital and interpersonal relationships
gender except bipolar disorder, gender roles and socialization, perceptions of control
Social support - especially with bipolar disorder

Question 10

integrative explanation

Answer 10

shared biological vulnerability
psychological vulnerability
exposure to stress
social and interpersonal relationships

Question 11

Treatment Medication

Tricyclics

Answer 11

1st ones made, “dirty drugs”
interact with neurotransmitters that they should not interact with
side effects: several negative ones, seizures, weight gain, blurred vision, confusion

Question 12

SSRIs

Answer 12

stops reuptake of serotonin

side effects: sexual dysfunction, insomnia, agitation

Question 13

monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Answer 13

MAIOs

severe interactions with certain foods, drinks and other medications

Question 14

mood stabilizers

Answer 14

usually for bipolar

ex: lithium, can be toxic and cause thyroid issues

Question 15

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Answer 15

for severe depression, application electrical impulses through brain to produce brief temporary seizures
reason for effectiveness is unknown
6-10 treatments
50% effective to those who did not respond to meds
short term memory loss, confusion that generally disappear after 1-2 weeks