Mood (Affective) Disorders Flashcards
depressive episode
at least two weeks
diminished interest in activities
difficulty concentrating
feelings of worthlessness
excessive guilt
hopelessness
recurrent thoughts of death/suicide
changes in appetite/sleep
psychomotor agitation/retardation
reduced energy/fatigue
bipolar - type 1
very low and very high moods
occurrence of at least one manic/mixed episode
manic episode
extreme mood (usually euphoric but also irritable)
lasts at least one week
high levels of activity/feelings of increased energy
rapid speech, impulsivity, reckless behaviour and extremely high self-esteem
rapid changes between mood states
mixed episode
Aspects of both depressive and manic episodes may be apparent within the same day/week.
hypomanic episode
no experience of full-blown manic episodes
some of the symptoms may be present in an attenuated form
several days of persistently elevated mood/increased irritability
increased energy and activity
bipolar - type 2
The same intensity of depressive episodes as type 1 + hypomanic rather than manic episodes
diagnosed when:
the person’s daily functioning is less impaired
still coping relatively well in different areas of their life
there is no history of manic or mixed episodes
name the mood disorder:
Depressive symptoms for much of the time
Never quite reaches the threshold for a diagnosis of a depressive episode
dysthymia
name the disorder:
numerous hypomanic episodes + depressive symptoms within a 2 year period
little breaks between periods
experience symptoms more time than not
symptoms less intense but relentless
cyclothymia
measure of depression
4 options
detailed clinical interviews - guidelines from ICD/DSM, qualitative data
Psychometric tests - to gauge the range, intensity, duration of a person’s symptoms
,qualitative data
, the nomothetic approach in clinical psychology
Beck Depression Inventory
Psychological Formulation
BIO-CHEM EXPLANATION:
monoamine hypothesis
Noradrenaline and serotonin are called ‘monoamines’.
Imbalance of Serotonin → Noradrenaline levels to drop → depressive episode
Noradrenaline levels too high → manic episodes
BIO-CHEM EXPLANATION:
serotonin imbalances
Receptors may become over-sensitive, particularly when serotonin levels are low.
Postsynaptic cell attempts to compensate for low levels of serotonin creating more receptors (upregulation) → Leads to even more problems
Following transmission: serotonin is absorbed back into the presynaptic cell via transporter molecules in the presynaptic membrane
Problems: serotonin is not cleared out of the synapse effectively
if taken back too readily it reduces the availability of serotonin molecules for binding on the postsynaptic cell
BIO GENETIC EXPLANATION
Biopsychologists believe:
thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are determined by signals passed between clusters of neurons in our nervous systems.
Genes provide the instructions that dictate how these networks develop
meaning depressive or manic episodes may be determined via genetic inheritance and/or mutations occurring during cell division
BIO CHEM EXPLANATION
Dopamine
Levels of dopamine reduced → motivation and pleasure affected
Antidepressants reduce symptoms of depressive disorder by increasing dopamine levels
supports the theory that low dopamine levels were the cause of the depressive symptoms
Oruc et al
AIM
To determine whether specific polymorphisms of two genes associated with serotonin transmission (5-HT2c and the 5-HTT gene) were more common in people with bipolar disorder
Oruc et Al Sample
all participants were Croatian and recruited via opportunity sampling.
25 females and 17 males
Aged 31-70
With bipolar disorder (type 1)
From psychiatric hospitals in Zagreb, Croatia
The average age of onset was 32
Medical records showed that 16 of participants had at least one first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) with a mood disorder
An age and sex-matched control group of 25 females and 15 males were also recruited via opportunity sampling of hospital staff, friends and family
None had first-degree relatives with a psychiatric diagnosis
Oruc
conclusion
This study focused on two specific polymorphisms of genes associated with serotonergic function but neither appears to play a major role in increasing vulnerability to bipolar disorder
This said, the study suggests that females may be more vulnerable to genetic alterations to serotonergic transmission
measure of depression: BDI
Beck’s depression inventory
over 13 year olds
when answering people should be thinking about the past two weeks
21 items
5 - 10 mins
determines the severity of a person’s symptoms
scores: 14-19 mild depression, 20-28 Moderate, 29-63 severe
designed to be used by qualified health professionals
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS
Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression
negative cognitive triad
Depressed people hold negative beliefs about:
the self (‘I am worthless’),
the world (‘Everything is doomed to failure’)
the future (‘The future is hopeless/Nothing will ever change’)
Evidence that does not match their beliefs is filtered out
Evidence that confirms their negative views is focused upon and stored.
PSYCO EXPLANATION
Beck: Faulty Thinking Strategies
dichotomous thinking - black or white
arbitrary interferences - drawing conclusions with insufficient evidence lead to ‘fortune telling’ or ‘mind reading’
catastrophising - minor thing happens triggers a flood of negative thoughts, resulting in overwhelming anxiety about worst case scenarios
(cancer from a freckle)
personalisation - taking the blame for negative outcomes
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS:
Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression + faulty thinking strategies
attributional style
learned helplessness
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS:
attributional style
Depressed people make attributions that are:
Internal
Global
Stable
People who are unlikely to become depressed make attributions that are:
External
Specific
Unstable
PSYCHO EXPLANATION
learned helplessness
If a person learns that their behaviour makes no difference to their aversive environment, they may stop trying to escape from aversive stimuli even when escape is possible.
Seligman et al: experimental dogs were classically conditioned to associate a neutral stimulus (a light) with an unavoidable shock
Later failed to escape from shocks even when it was possible to do so - LEARNED HELPLESSNES
Maier & Seligman (1976)
People subjected to inescapable noise, insoluble problems. Later gave up trying in similar situations, similar to Seligman’s dogs
Learned helplessness does have similarities to depressed behaviour in humans though findings are pretty inconsistent
BIO TREATMENT
Tricyclics
MAOIs-monoamine oxidase inhibitors and Subtypes
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRIs
BIO TREATMENTS
Tricyclics
- blocking serotonin transporter molecules and noradrenaline transporter molecules in the presynaptic cell
Side effects: drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and weight gain.
