Depression

Question 1

Which gender is it more common in?

What are the core symptoms of depression?

What are the biological and cognitive symptoms of depression?

What does a patient need to have for depression to be diagnosed?

Answer 1

• Females
• ↓Mood, ↓Energy, Anhedonia (loss of interest in activities that are usually pleasurable)
• Disturbed Sleep, ↓Appetite, ↓Concentration, ↓Memory, ↓Self-esteem and Self-confidence, Guilt, Worthlessness, Self-harm or suicidal thoughts, ↓Libido, Headache, Weight Loss
• Need at least 2 Core and 2 Other symptoms

Question 2

What are the severities/types of depression? What are the criteria?

What are the 2 symptoms of Psychotic depression?

What are the types of hallucinations that can occur?

What are the types of delusions they may have?

Answer 2

- • Mild - 2 Core, 2 Other symptoms
• Moderate - 2 Core, 3/4 Other symptoms
• Severe - 3 Core, 4+ Other symptoms
• Severe with Psychotic symptoms
• Recurrent

• Hallucination, Delusion
• • Auditory; Defamatory/Accusatory voices, Cries for help
  • Olfactory; Bad smells, Decomposing flesh
  • Visual; Demons, Dead bodies
• • Poverty
  • Personal Inadequacy
  • Responsible for certain events; think they deserve punishment
  • Nihilistic delusions; think they’re dead

Question 3

What is Bipolar Affective disorder?

What is Dysthymia?

Answer 3

• Fluctuating episodes of Mania (↑Mood) and Depression

- Chronic, Low-grade depressive symptoms, without meeting criteria of a depressive episode

Question 4

What is the Monoamine Theory for the cause of depression?

What’s the link between Cortisol and depression?

What is Beck’s Cognitive Triad?

What is the Biopsychosocial Formulation table?

Answer 4

• ↓Serotonergic, Noradrenergic, Dopaminergic transmission
• ↑CRH, Cortisol in Depressed patients
• View of the 3 key elements of a person’s belief system that present in depression;
  o Cognitive bias; Overgeneralisation, Abstraction, Polar reasoning
  o Negative self-schemas
  o Negative triad; Blaming self, World, and thinking Future is hopeless
• A 3 by 4 Table; Biological, Psychological, Social on the top & Predisposing, Precipitating, Perpetuating, Protective factors on the side

Question 5

What are the personality indicators of depression?

What are some Early childhood causes of depression?

What are some Social and life events that cause depression?

Answer 5

• Perfectionism, Demand for control, Self-blaming
• Parental neglect, Child abuse, Substance abuse in household, Parental separation, Overprotective upbringing, Bullying
• ≥3 children under 14, Working at home, Lack of confiding relationships, Loss, Humiliation, Physical illness, Poverty