Chapter 5 - Depressive disorders

Question 1

Major depressive disorder

Answer 1

Depressive disorder involving one or more major depressive episodes.

Question 2

Anhedonia

Answer 2

Inability to experience pleasure from previously pleasurable activities.

Question 3

Specifier

Answer 3

An extention to the diagnosis that further clarifies the course, severity or special features of the disorder.

Question 4

Anorexia

Answer 4

Loss of appetite.

Question 5

Major depressive episode

Answer 5

State characterised by at least five depressive symptoms, one of which must be either sad mood or a loss of pleasure/interest in usual activities. Additional depressive symptoms include an increase or decrease of appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or severe guilt, difficulty concentrating and suicidal ideation. These symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.

Question 6

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

Answer 6

Anxiety disorder characterised by chronic worry in daily life accompanied by physical symptoms of tension.

Question 7

Dysthymia (Dysthymic disorder)

Answer 7

Depressive disorder that is less severe than major depression but more chronic.

Question 8

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

Answer 8

A depressive disorder characterised by severe and persistent irritability as evident in temper outbursts that are extremely out of proportion to the situation.

Question 9

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)

Answer 9

Type of psychological treatment that combines both cognitive and behavioural concepts and techniques

Question 10

Longitudinal design

Answer 10

Type of research evaluating changes in the same group of people over time.

Question 11

Conduct disorder

Answer 11

Disorder marked by chronic disregard for the rights of others, including specific behaviours such as stealing, lying and engaging in acts of violence.

Question 12

Oppositional defiant disorder

Answer 12

Disorder of chronic misbehaviour in children marked by belligerence, irritability and defiance.

Question 13

Neurotransmitters

Answer 13

Biochemicals released from a sending neuron to a receiving neuron so as to transmit messages in the brain and nervous system.

Question 14

Monoamines

Answer 14

Neurotransmitters including Catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine) and serotonin that have been implicated in mood disorders.

Question 15

Limbic system

Answer 15

Part of the brain that relays information from the primitive brain stem about changes in bodily functions to the cortex where the information is interpreted.

Question 16

Synapse

Answer 16

Space between a sending and receiving neuron into which neurotransmitters are released.

Question 17

Neuron

Answer 17

Nerve cell; activates or inhibits other neurons by releasing neurotransmitters.

Question 18

Receptors

Answer 18

Molecules on the membrane of neurons to which neurotransmitters bind.

Question 19

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Answer 19

Three components of the neuroendocrine system that work together in a feedback system interconnected with the brain’s limbic system and cerebral cortex.

Question 20

Hormone

Answer 20

Chemical produced by the endocrine glands that carries messages throughout the body and potentially affects a wide array of functioning such as an individual’s mood, level of energy and reactions to stress.

Question 21

Cortisol

Answer 21

Hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that helps the body respond to stressors, inducing the fight or flight response.

Question 22

Pre-frontal cortex

Answer 22

Region at the front of the brain important in language, emotional expression, the planning and production of new ideas, and the mediation of social interactions.

Question 23

Amygdala

Answer 23

Part of the brain’s limbic system that is thought to regulate emotions.

Question 24

Negative cognitive trial

Answer 24

Perspective seen in depressed individuals in which they have negative views of themselves, the world and the future.

Question 25

Expressed emotion (EE)

Answer 25

Family interaction style in which family members are overly protective and self-sacrificing towards the person with a psychological disorder while also expressing high levels of criticism and hostility; this may contribute to the person’s relapse.

Question 26

Protective factors

Answer 26

Conditions or variables associated with a reduced risk or chance of developing a disorder.

Question 27

Antidepressants

Answer 27

Drugs used to treat the symptoms of depression such as sad mood, negative thinking, and disturbances of sleep and appetite; three common types a monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Question 28

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)

Answer 28

Class of antidepressant drugs such as imipramine and amitriptyline.

Question 29

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Answer 29

Class of antidepressant drugs (such as fluoxetine) that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.

Question 30

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Answer 30

Class of antidepressant drugs.

Question 31

Antipsychotic medications

Answer 31

Drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.

Question 32

Psychotic symptoms

Answer 32

According to the narrow definition, delusions and hallucinations; according to the broader definition, also includes disorganised speech and disorganised or catatonic behaviour.

Question 33

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

Answer 33

Biological treatment that exposes patients to repeated, high-intensity magnetic pulses that are focused on particular brain structures in order to stimulate them.

Question 34

Vagus nerve stimulation

Answer 34

Biological treatment in which the vagus nerve (part of the autonomic nervous system that carries information from the head, neck, thorax and abdomen to several areas of the brain) is stimulated by a small electronic device similar to a cardiac pacemaker, which is surgically implanted under a patient’s skin in the left chest wall.

Question 35

Bright light therapy

Answer 35

Treatment that involves exposure to bright light; used particularly during the winter months for individuals with seasonal affective disorder.

Question 36

Seasonal affective disorder

Answer 36

Depressive disorder characterised by a two-year period in which the individual experiences major depression during winter months and then recovers during the summer.

Question 37

Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)

Answer 37

Treatment for mood disorders that involves the induction of a brain seizure by passing an electrical current through the patient’s brain while s/he is anaesthetised.

Question 38

Pleasant activity scheduling

Answer 38

Behavioural technique entailing planning a gradual increase in the level of pleasant activities the client engages in as a way of improving his/her mood.

Question 39

Meta-analysis

Answer 39

Statistical technique for summarising results across several studies.

Question 40

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)

Answer 40

Short-term psychological treatment originally developed by Gerald Klerman, Myrna Weissman and their colleagues for the treatment of depression; addresses the client’s interpersonal problems as a way of improving his/her psychological symptoms.

Question 41

Psychodynamic therapies

Answer 41

Therapies focused on uncovering and resolving unconscious conflicts that drive psychological symptoms.