Module 42: Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder

Question 1

Major Depressive Disorder

Answer 1

A disorder in which a person experiences, in absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with five of the symptoms, at least one of which must be either ( 1 ) depressed mood or ( 2 ) loss of interest of pleasure.

Question 2

Bipolar Disorder

Answer 2

A disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. ( Formerly called manic - depressive disorder ).

Question 3

Mania

Answer 3

A hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment is common.

• Little need for sleep
• Fewer sexual inhibitions
• Positive emotions persist abnormally
• Speech is loud, flighty, and hard to interrupt
• Find advice irritations

Question 4

The Biological Perspective

Answer 4

• Depression is a whole body disorder
• – Genetic predispositions, brain connectivity issues, and biochemical imbalances
• – Negative thoughts and a gloomy mood

Question 5

The Depressed Brain

Answer 5

• During depression —> brain activity slows
• During mania —> brain activity increases
• Major depressive disorder
• – Low connectivity between brain regions involved in experiencing ( a ) emotion and ( b ) emotion regulation.
• —- These regions don’t talk well with each other

Question 6

Neurotransmitters

Answer 6

• Two neurotransmitters at work
• – Norepinephrine —> increases arousal and boosts mood
• —- Scarce during depression
• —- Overabundant during mania
• —— Drugs to reduce mania reduce norepinephrine
• – Serotonin
• —- Scarce during depression
• Drugs to relieve depression boost serotonin and norepinephrine supples
• – By blocking reuptake

Question 7

The Social - Cognitive Perspective

Answer 7

• Life experiences play a part
• – Diet, drugs, stress, and other environmental influences lay down epigenetic marks
• —- Molecular genetic tags that can turn certain genes on or off
• Thinking plays a part
• – People’s assumptions and expectations influence what they perceive

Question 8

Rumination

Answer 8

Compulsive fretting; overthinking our problems and their causes.

• Women twice as vulnerable to depression as men
• – May be due to their tendency to overthink

Question 9

Why do unavoidable failures lead some to be depressed?

Answer 9

• Their explanatory style
• – Who or what they blame for their failures
• —- Blame someone else —> angry
• —- Blame yourself —> depressed

Question 10

How do depressed people explain bad events?

Answer 10

• Stable (“I’ll never get over this”)
• Global (“I can’t do anything right”)
• Internal (“It’s all my fault”)

Question 11

Depression’s Vicious Cycle

Answer 11

1 ) Stressful experience
2 ) Negative explanatory style
3 ) Depressed mood
4 ) Cognitive and behavior changes