Module 67: Mood Disorders

Question 1

Mood

Answer 1

A long term emotional state rather than a mixed or fleeting feeling

Question 2

Mood Disorders

Answer 2

Mood Disorders are characterized by emotional extremes and challenges in regulating mood

Question 3

Depression

Answer 3

• a negative affective state ranging from unhappiness and discontent to extreme feeling of sadness, pessimism, and despondency, that interferes with daily life
• change in eating or sleeping habits, lack of energy or motivation, difficulty concentrating, or making decisions, withdrawal from social activities

Question 4

How common is Depression?

Answer 4

31% of American college students answered yes to having depression
29% high school students - felt so sad or hopeless for 2 or more weeks in a row that they stopped usual activities

Question 5

Major Depressive Disorder

Answer 5

A state of hopelessness and lethargy lasting several weeks or months

Question 6

Symptoms of Depression

Answer 6

• depressed mood most of the time
• dramatically reduced interest or enjoyment in most activities most of the time
• challenges regulating appetite & weight
• challenges regulating sleep
• physical agitation or lethargy
• listless or with much less energy
• feeling worthless/unwarranted guilt
• problem in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
• thinking repetitively of death and suicide

Question 7

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Answer 7

Dysthmia

• similar to major depressive disorder but with milder depressive symptoms that last a much longer period of time
• often than not for two years

Question 8

Bipolar Disorder

Answer 8

Person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of Mania

*formally called manic- depressive disorder

Question 9

What does Bipolar Disorder look like?

Answer 9

When a depressive episode ends, a euphoric overly talkative, wildly energetic, and extremely optimistic state called Mania follows. But before long, the mood either returns to normal or plunges again into depression

Question 10

Clusters of genes associated with high creativity increases the likelihood of having what?

Answer 10

Bipolar Disorder

*vice versa - risk factors for developing bipolar disorder predict greater creativity

Question 11

What are the implications of Bipolar Disorder?

Answer 11

Bipolar Disorder is much less common than major depressive disorder but it is more dysfunctional claiming twice as many lost workdays
*Bipolar Disorder is a potent predictor of suicide

Question 12

What does genetics have to do with Bipolar Disorder?

Answer 12

• risk of being diagnosed with majory depressive disorder or Bipolar disorder increase if your parents or sibling has the disorder
• identical twin: major depressive disorder - 1 in 2 the other twin will be too
  Bipolar disorder - co-twin’s chances are higher. 7 in 10 even if raised apart

Question 13

Heritability

Answer 13

A measure of how well differences in people’s genes account for differences in their traits

Question 14

Is Bipolar Disorder heritable?

Answer 14

YES, Highly Heritable

Question 15

What neurotransmitter is scarce in depression and abundant during Mania?

Answer 15

Norepinephrine - increases arousal and boosts mood
scare - depression
overabundant - mania

Question 16

Which neurotransmitters are scares during depression?

Answer 16

Norepinephrine & Serotonin

Question 17

Note

Answer 17

One study showed that depression is related to the combination of two factors: significant life stress + a variation of a serotonin- controlling gene

Question 18

What life experiences can result in mood disorders?

Answer 18

Diet, Drugs, Stress, and other environmental influences lay down epigenetic (changes that alter the physical structure of DNA) marks, molecular genetic tags that can turn certain genes on or off

Question 19

Social Cognitive Approach & Mood Disorders

Answer 19

Explores how people’s assumptions and expectations influence what they perceive
* many depressed people view life through the dark glasses of low self-esteem

Question 20

Can our thoughts lead to depression?

Answer 20

• expecting the worst, people’s self-defeating beliefs and negative explanatory style feed their depression
• overthinking/rumination may also impact depression
• social media comparisons

Question 21

Explanatory Style

Answer 21

Who or what we blame for our failures

Question 22

The Cycle of Depression

Answer 22

*Depression is Both a cause and effect of stressful experiences that disrupts our sense of who we are and why we are worthy human beings
Triggers –> Thoughts –> Feelings –> Behavior –> Physical Responses (loop)

Question 23

Treating Depression

Answer 23

• talking therapies
• get help from friends & family - join support groups, somewhere to live, keep a job
• healthy lifestyle (eat well, physically active, good and regular sleep,
• no smoking or drugs
• get the right medication (for moderate and severe depression

Question 24

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Answer 24

A type of therapy in which patients learn to identify and manage negative thought and behavior patterns that can contribute to their depression
- identify negative patterns, change inaccurate beliefs, change behaviors making depression worse, interact with others in positive way

Question 25

Interpersonal Therapy

Answer 25

A form of therapy in which patients learn to improve their relationship with others by better expressing their emotions and solving problems in heal their ways
- resolve or adapt to troubling life events, build social skills, organize relationships to increase support for coping with depression symptoms and life stressors

Question 26

What is the most common combination treatment for Depression?

Answer 26

Psychotherapy & Medication

*in cases of major depressive order & Bipolar Depression