Major Depression

Question 1

What is the DSM-5 criteria for Major Depression?

Answer 1

A)
Five out of the following 9 features, including definitely 1) or 2) that occur in a two week period and represent a change from previous functioning:

1) Depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every day, that can be subjectively professed or observed by others
2) Anhedonia
3) Significant weight loss or loss of appetite
4) Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly everyday
5) Psychomotor agitation or retardation
6) Fatigue
7) Feeling of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
8) Diminished ability to concentrate, or indecisiveness
9) Thoughts of suicide

B)
Symptoms cause clinically significant distress and reduced ability to function socially or occupationally

C)
Symptoms can not be attributed to the physiological affect of another substance or medical disorder

Question 2

How do differentiate grief from episodes of major depression?

Answer 2

In grief the predominant feeling is that of emptiness or loss which tend to occur in waves and are associated with thoughts about the loss or reminders. The thought content majors about the subject of grief rather than self-worthlessness. Major depression is characterised more by a predominance of the depressed mood and the inability to appreciate happiness or pleasure

Question 3

What features are correlated with poor recovery rates in major depressive episodes?

Answer 3

Long duration
Prominent anxiety
Symptom severity
Associated psychotic symptoms
Personality disorder

Question 4

What are some predictors that a major depressive episode will transition into bipolar?

Answer 4

Adolescent onset
Psychotic features
FHx bipolar

Question 5

What are the specifier’s for depressive disorder and briefly describe them?

Answer 5

With anxious distress - symptoms of anxiety
With mixed features - symptoms of hypomania or mania
With melancholic features - significant anhedonia
With atypical features - symptoms of mood reactivity
With psychotic features
With catatonia
With postpartum onset