Depression Flashcards
What is depression?
It is a defined as a condition in which individuals experience persistent low mood, anergia and anhedonia
What is anergia?
It is defined as low energy
What is anhedonia?
It is defined as a loss of interest/enjoyment in everyday activities
What are the two neurochemical imbalances associated with depression?
Decreased serotonin
Decreased noradrenaline
What are the four classifications of depression?
Mild Depression
Moderate Depression
Severe Depression
Recurrent Depression
What is mild depression?
It is defined as the presentation of two core features plus two cognitive features
What is moderate depression?
It is defined as the presentation of two core features plus at least three cognitive features
What is severe depression?
It is defined as the presentation of three core features plus at least four cognitive features
There is usually the presence of psychotic features.
What is recurrent depression?
It is defined as the presentation of more than two depressive episodes
What are the twelve risk factors associated with depression?
Female Gender
Young Age, 18 – 40 Years Old
Family History
Childhood Trauma
Traumatic Life Events
Personality Traits
Chronic Disease
Co-Morbid Substance Use
Drug Administration
Lack of Social Support
Separated/Divorced Marital Status
Poor Economic Status
What six chronic diseases are associated with depression?
Parkinson’s Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Hypothyroidism
Psoriasis
Addison’s disease
Wilson’s disease
What four drugs are associated with depression?
Beta-blockers
Steroids
Levodopa
Isotretinoin
What are the three protective factors of depression?
Employment
Good Social Support
Married
What are the three core symptoms of depression?
Persistent Low Mood
Anhedonia
Anergia
What are the eight cognitive clincial features of depression?
Weight Changes
Disturbed Sleep
Psychomotor Retardation/Agitation
Reduced Libido
Feelings of Worthlessness/Guilt
Decreased Concentration
Psychotic Features
Suicidal/Self-Harm Thoughts
What are the two psychotic features of depression?
Delusions of Guilt & Personal Inadequacy
Hallucinations
What are the seven somatic/biological features of depression?
Anhedonia
Loss of Emotional Reactivity
Diurnal Mood Changes
Early Morning Wakening
Psychomotor Agitation/Retardation
Appetite Loss
Weight Loss
Describe the diurnal mood changes in depression
The mood tends to be worse in the morning
Describe the early morning waking in depression
Individuals wake 2 - 3 hours earlier than usual
What though disorder is associated with severe depression?
Cotard syndrome
What is cotard syndrome?
It is defined as a condition in which individuals believe that they are dead or non-existent
What are the four investigations used to diagnose depression?
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Hospital Anxiety & Depression (HAD) Scale
Blood Tests
CT Scans
What is the most common depression screening tool?
PHQ-9
What is PHQ-9?
It involves asking questions whether they have experienced nine clinical features over the last two weeks – which are scored 0 – 3 in terms of severity
What PHQ-9 score defines mild depression?
5 - 9
What PHQ-9 score defines moderate depression?
10 - 14
What PHQ-9 score defines moderately severe depression?
15 - 19
What PHQ-9 score defines severe depression?
20 - 27
What is the HAD scale?
It involves asking 7 questions screening for depression and 7 questions screening for anxiety – which are scored 0 – 3 in terms of severity
This provides a score for both depression and anxiety
What HAD scale score is considered normal?
0 - 7
What HAD scale score is considered borderline for anxiety and depression diagnosis?
8 - 10
What HAD scale score defines a diagnosis of depression/anxiety?
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