Depression

Question 1

What are the three core symptoms of depression?

Answer 1

Low mood - can have diurnal variation, but must be pervasively low for 2 weeks
Anhedonia - lack of enjoyment for things they used to enjoy
Low energy - exhausted by simple tasks

Question 2

What are the cognitive features of depression?

Answer 2

Slowed sped of thought 
Reduced concentration and attention 
Reduced self esteem and self-confidence 
Ideas of guilt and unworthiness 
Bleak and pessimistic views of the future 
Hopelessness 
Ideas or acts of self harm and suicide

Question 3

What are the biological features of depression?

Answer 3

Disturbed sleep - sleeps less/gets up early in the morning 
Diminished appetite 
Weight loss
Loss of libido 
Low energy 
Constipation 
Amenorrhoea

Question 4

What are the psychotic (out of touch with reality) symptoms.

Answer 4

Delusions - fixed false ideas that isn’t within the normal beliefs of this person
Hallucinations - normally auditory

Question 5

List the biological causes of depression?

Answer 5

Genetics (40% concordance in HZ twins)
Neurochemical theories
Neuroendocrine theories

Question 6

What are the neurochemical theories of depression?

Answer 6

Dopamine - reward pathway and ability to obtain a sense of pleasure
Serotonin - involved in regulating many important physiological functions, including sleep, aggression, eating, sexual behaviour and mood
Noradrenaline - involved in stress response/ANS

Question 7

Which two neuroendocrine axis are thought to be involved in depression?

Answer 7

HPA axis

HPT axis

Question 8

List the psychological causes of depression.

Answer 8

Psychodynamic - general feeling of loss
Behavioural
Cognitive

Question 9

What are some of the common cognitive distortions associated with depression?

Answer 9

Arbitrary interference - only looks at the bad parts of life
Selective abstraction - uses specific pieces of information to prove their idea that everything is wrong and bad with the world
Magnification
Minimisations
Overgeneralisations - applies one negative thing to all events
Personalisations - taking mild criticisms very personally

Question 10

List the pharmacological treatments for depression.

Answer 10

SSRIs - selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors
TCAs - tricyclic antidepressants
SNRIs - serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors
NASSAs - Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants
NAIs- noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitors

Question 11

Give examples and list the side effects of SSRIs.

Answer 11

E.g - Fluoxetine and sertraline

Nausea, sweating, vomiting, agitation, sexual dysfunction and hyponatraemia

Question 12

Give examples and list the side effects of TCAs.

Answer 12

E.g. Amitriptyline

Anticholinergic effects, sedation, weight gain, sweating, hyponatraemia, cardio toxic effects and hallucinations

Question 13

Give examples and list the side effects of SNRIs.

Answer 13

E.g. Venlafaxine

Nausea, vomiting, agitations, sweating, sexual dysfunction and hypertension

Question 14

Give examples and list the side effects of NASSAs.

Answer 14

E.g. Mirtazapine

Sedation and weight gain

Question 15

Give examples and list the side effects of NRIs.

Answer 15

E.g. Reboxetine

Sweating, hypertension, anticholinergic effects

Question 16

What are the psychological treatments for depression?

Answer 16

Behavioural therapy
Cognitive therapy
Psychotherapy

Question 17

What are the social treatments for depression?

Answer 17

Advice or help with adverse social circumstances

• housing and finance
• employment
• relationships

Question 18

What are the normal emotions experienced by people after loss?

Answer 18

Denial
Anger
Bargaining 
Depression
Acceptance

Question 19

What are the hallmarks of abnormal greif?

Answer 19

Unexpected
Ambivalent
Chronic
- can’t reach an acceptance stage, spends too much time in one emotional stage
- usually when someone in dependent relationships pass away
Delayed
- stages of grief put on hold for family and friends
- triggers set off the proper processing of these feelings all at once later in life