MDD

Question 1

DSM-V criteria

Answer 1

• Sad mood or loss in interest or pleasure
• Symptoms present nearly every day, most of the day for at least 2 weeks
• Plus 4 of following symptoms:
  
  • Sleeping too much/too little
  • Psychomotor retardation / agitation
  • Poor/increased appetite (weight loss)
  • Loss of energy
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • Difficulties concentrating or making decisions
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

Question 2

What is the heritability for mood disorders?

Answer 2

93% for bipolar and 37% for MDD

Question 3

Karg et al (2011)

Answer 3

Meta analysis of 54 studies found strong support for 5-HTTLPR moderating relationship between stress and depression:

The more 5-HTTLPR alleles the higher risk of developing depression under stress

Question 4

What can be said about neurotransmitters

Answer 4

Originally thought that it had to do with absolute levels of Dopamine and Serotonin, but the long time it takes for anti-depressants to work suggests otherwise:

• insensitive receptors to serotonin
• anti-depressants inhibit neuronal re-uptake or inhibit degradation –> increase of neurotransmitters in synapses

Question 5

Jasinka et al (2012)

Answer 5

• Genetically produced variability in serotonin re-uptake alters balance in (VMPFC)-DR circuitry that regulates emotions.
• As response to stressors neurons cause hyper-reactivity in amygdala leading to hyperactivity of emotion regulation
• risk of depression and effect of genetic variation in serotonin transporter thus depends on life-stress
• Depression found to be linked to stress (cortisol) in diseases such as cushings syndrome

Question 6

What 2 people will be mentioned under social factors?

Answer 6

Kendier et al (1999) and Brown & Andrews (1986)

Question 7

Kendier et al (1999)

Answer 7

Life events can trigger depressive episodes:
up to 67% report stressful event prior to depression onset –> causality

• certain life events in particular (death of spouse/ prison)

Question 8

Brown & Andrews (1986)

Answer 8

After stressful event: 40% of women without confident –> MDD, only 4% with a confident

• Causality issues

Question 9

Which names are mentioned under psychological factors?

Answer 9

Jorm et al (2000), Beck (1967), Seligman (1974) and Metalsky (1993)

Question 10

Jorm et al (2000)

Answer 10

Describing neuroticism as a risk factor tendency to react with higher levels of negative effect predicts onset of depression

Question 11

Beck (1967)

Answer 11

The negative traid: Negative view of self, negative schemata (see world negatively) and negative cognitive biases lead to depression (process information negatively)

Evidence can be seen in negative thinking and focus in depressed patients, but causation problem

Question 12

Seligman (1974)

Answer 12

Learned helplessness theory: 70% stopped trying to escape - model of depression. 30% not jumping - due to attribution style?

Question 13

Attribution style

Answer 13

Internal (stable/unstable - global/specific) vs External (stable/unstable - global/specific)

Question 14

Metalsky (1993)

Answer 14

College students depressive reaction to exam results revealed that:
- Immediate depressive reactions depended only on outcome

• Enduring symptoms on attributional diathesis x low self-esteem x failure interaction through mediator of hopelessness