depression Flashcards
what is an affective disorder
a mood disorder
what is dysthymia
persistant mild depression
what are the main types of affective disorder
dysthymia
major depression
bipolar disorder
what are the 7 As of depression
Anhedonia appetite loss anergia AM waking amenorrhoea asexual affective disorder
also: agitation, poor concentration, indecisiveness, exessive guilt, inability to perform ADL
what do the letters in the mnemonic DESPAIR stand for
depressed mood or disinterest energy loss/ tired all the time sleep disturbed pessimism, hopelessness appetite/weight changes impaired concentration retardation/ agitation suicidal ideation/ reccurent thoughts
in addition: emotional, cognitive, behavioural symptoms
what are some features of major depression
most symptoms present, which markedly intefere with functioning
can occur with or without psychotic symptoms
a diagnosis should take into account the degree of functional impairment and duration of episode
what are the cognitive symptoms of depression
lowered self esteem and self confidence guilt and worthlessness feelings of hopelessness and helplesness pessimistic and reccurrently negative thoughts about oneself, past, present and future poor concentration reduced attention difficulty making decisions rumination
what somatic/ behavioural symptoms of depression are there
appetite change insomnia early morning wakening loss of libido social withdrawal
what questions can you ask to elicit talking about symptoms of depression
• During the last month, have you often been
bothered by feeling down, depressed or
hopeless?
• During the last month, have you often been
bothered by having little interest or pleasure in
doing things?
what factors can increase the risk of depression
genetic early life experience previous mental health stressful life events gender (more common in women) chronic or serious disease substance abuse lack of supportive relationships lack of employment many children
what stressful life events could precipitate an episode of reactive depression
– Failure at work, at school, loss of a job; – Marital separation; – Rejection by a loved one; – Death of a child; – Illness of a family member; – Physical illness
what factors may contribute to a higher rate of depression in women
– Women may express and report symptoms more than
men
– Hormones
– Early life stress: e.g., sexual abuse (girls are more
likely to be sexually abused)
– Additional stresses such as responsibilities both at
home and work, single parenthood, caring for children
and aging parent, higher emotional burden
how does physical health conditions and depression interact
physical conditions may increase the chance of depression and depression may worsen the distress associated with physical illness, including adversely affecting outcomes and shortening life expectancy
depression can be a risk factor for illnesses such as cardiovascular disease (it is an independant predictor or mortality and morbidity)
why is assessment of depression difficult in chronically ill patients
many signs of depression may also be a symptom of physical disease
drug treatment may cause depression as a side effect
how can depression affect coronary heart disease
less likely to adhere to medication, life style interventions, rehab programmes
depression is a risk factor for smoking, diabetes, lower exercise tolerance
may trigger dysregulation of neurohormonal systems responsible for cortisol and catecholamine production
