Clinical Characteristics of Depression Flashcards
What is meant by the term ‘clinical characteristics’. Identify four different clinical characteristics of depression.
- Symptoms. 2. Diagnostic criteria. 3. Course and prognosis. 4. Incidence and prevalence.
How many symptoms for major depressive disorder does DSM-IV identify.
9
Identify the four types of symptoms of major depression.
- Cognitive. 2. Affective (emotional). 3. Physiological. 4. Behavioural.
Identify some cognitive symptoms of major depression.
Cognitive symptoms of major depression include preoccupation with thinking about minor past failings, inability to concentrate, perception of low self-worth, negative thoughts about the future.
Identify some affective (emotional) symptoms of major depression.
Affective (emotional) symptoms of major depression include feelings of sadness, depressed mood, lack of pleasure in usually pleasurable activities.
Identify some physiological symptoms of major depression.
Physiological symptoms of depression include appetite changes - either lack of appetite or increase in appetite, psychomotor changes such as agitation or lethargy, changes to sleep - either insomnia (inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (sleeping much more than usual).
Identify some behavioural symptoms of depression.
Behavioural symptoms of depression include social withdrawal - avoidance of social situations, not contacting friends, etc., not bothering to get dressed in the morning, not taking care over one’s appearance or personal hygiene.
According to DSM-IV, what are the diagnostic criteria for major depression.
According to DSM-IV, the diagnostic criteria for major depression are: 1. presence of at least 5 of the 9 symptoms, including depressed mood and/or loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities for at least 2 weeks; 2. symptoms must not be due to substance abuse or some other underlying disorder.
Explain how the course of major depression differs from that of bipolar disorder.
The course of major depression is continuous low mood, whereas bipolar disorders characterised by cycles of extreme mood swings - from extremely low, depressed mood to periods of extreme high mood - known as mania. Manic periods are characterised by feelings of euphoria, invincibility and recklessness; people experiencing a manic episode take huge risks such as drink driving, having unprotected sex, etc.
What is the prevalence of major depression, according to NICE?
Worldwide prevalence of major depression is between 4% and 10% during lifetime, according to NICE.
In which gender is the prevalence of major depression highest?
Major depression is more prevalent in women than in men.
In which socio-economic group is major depression most prevalent?
Major depression is most prevalent in those with lower socio-economic status.
In what way are the symptoms of depression similar to those of dysthymia, and in what way do they differ?
Dysthymia and major depression are similar insofar as both are characterised by continuous low mood, feelings of low self-worth and low levels of motivation. The two types of depression differ insofar as the symptoms of dysthymia are less extreme.
In what way are the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and Post-Natal Depression similar, and in what way are they different?
The symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and Post-Natal Depression are similar in two ways: first, they develop at certain times; second, they feature low mood, lack of motivation, social withdrawal and feelings of low self-worth. The symptoms of the two disorders differ insofar as the onset of SAD is in the winter months when there are less hours of sunshine, and the onset of PND follows the birth of a baby; SAD is experienced by both men and women whereas PND can only be diagnosed in women.
How does the gender prevalence of depression change with age?
Depression is more prevalent in women than in men during the reproductive years, but is more prevalent in men than in women in over 55 year olds.
