Introduction to Depression and Internalizing Disorders Flashcards
What are some symptoms of depression?
Fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, diminished ability to think or concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death. Symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social/occupational functions. Symptoms are not attributed to a substance or other medical concern.
What is double depression?
When a major depressive episode occurs in an already dysthymic individual. About 75% of ppl with PPD will experience a depressive episode at some point.
What is depression in childhood like?
5% of children and 10-20% of adolescents experience major depression at some point. We now know children experience depression really similar to adults.
What does depression look like in preschool?
Somber, tearful, lack exuberance and bounce
Can be excessively clingy
Irritable or bored for no reason
Sleep disruptions
Changes in appetite
With very early depression, what happens later in life?
Longitudinal studies show children ages 3-5 yrs with major depression are more likely to show recurrent symptoms of depression later in life. For these kids, depression does not seem to be a “phase”, more chronic.
What is the average age of onset for first depressive episode in childhood/adolescence?
14 years old.
Is there a gender disparity in depression?
Comparable rates of depression across sex and gender in childhood.
Profound gender different in MDD prevalence first emerges during early adolescence.
Females 2x as likely to experience depression in adolescence and adulthood.
Women far more likely to experience episodes of recurrent depression.
Why are women more likely to experience episodes of recurrent depression?
Hormones? (maybe). Likely attributed to stressful experiences, like trauma or chronic strains. Also can be cognitive style (aka rumination).
What is rumination?
Way of responding to situations by repetitively focusing on distress, its causes, and consequences. Women are more likely to ruminate.
Why is early adolescence an onset period for depression?
Affective time of heightened emotional reactivity. Biological changes. Cognitive style changes.
What is the support trap?
Co-rumination. Ruminating with friends. Adolescent girls who have friends with high levels of depressive symptoms more likely to become depressed themselves, known as the depression contagion.
Is depression really a “chemical imbalance”? (Monoamine Hypothesis of Depression)
Belief that dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are depleted in the brain’s synapses.
What are some other explanations?
The HPA axis, glutamate, brain structures like the hippocampus and amygdala.
What is glutamate?
The “excitatory “ neurotransmitter– it increases the likelihood that a neuron with fire. Helps transmit nerve impulses quickly and efficiently. Involved in the formation of and retrieval of memories
What treatment works well on glutamate?
Ketamine, usually within days.
How many youth with MDD have another depressive episode later in life?
Nearly 50% of youth with MDD will have another depressive episode within 5 years and 75% will have another in the next several decades.
What is the one factor that plays a role if depression is recurrent?
Stress.
What is the Stress Sensitization Model?
First episodes of major depression are more likely to come after significant life stressors.
Later episodes are more likely to come after minor stressors. As stress and episodes accumulate over time, it takes smaller levels of stress to tip someone into an episode.
What is HFAD?
High functioning after depression. 10-20% of ppl with MDD show HFAD.
They thrive, also compared to people who have never had depression.
