Module 67: Mood Disorders Flashcards
Mood
A long term emotional state rather than a mixed or fleeting feeling
Mood Disorders
Mood Disorders are characterized by emotional extremes and challenges in regulating mood
Depression
- 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
How common is Depression?
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
Major Depressive Disorder
A state of hopelessness and lethargy lasting several weeks or months
Symptoms of Depression
- 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
Persistent Depressive Disorder
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
Bipolar Disorder
Person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of Mania
*formally called manic- depressive disorder
What does Bipolar Disorder look like?
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
Clusters of genes associated with high creativity increases the likelihood of having what?
Bipolar Disorder
*vice versa - risk factors for developing bipolar disorder predict greater creativity
What are the implications of Bipolar Disorder?
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
What does genetics have to do with Bipolar Disorder?
- 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
Heritability
A measure of how well differences in people’s genes account for differences in their traits
Is Bipolar Disorder heritable?
YES, Highly Heritable
What neurotransmitter is scarce in depression and abundant during Mania?
Norepinephrine - increases arousal and boosts mood
scare - depression
overabundant - mania
Which neurotransmitters are scares during depression?
Norepinephrine & Serotonin
Note
One study showed that depression is related to the combination of two factors: significant life stress + a variation of a serotonin- controlling gene
What life experiences can result in mood disorders?
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
Social Cognitive Approach & Mood Disorders
Explores how people’s assumptions and expectations influence what they perceive
* many depressed people view life through the dark glasses of low self-esteem
Can our thoughts lead to depression?
- expecting the worst, people’s self-defeating beliefs and negative explanatory style feed their depression
- overthinking/rumination may also impact depression
- social media comparisons
Explanatory Style
Who or what we blame for our failures
The Cycle of Depression
*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)
Treating Depression
- 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
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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
Interpersonal Therapy
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
What is the most common combination treatment for Depression?
Psychotherapy & Medication
*in cases of major depressive order & Bipolar Depression
