Mood Disorders Flashcards
What is mood?
Refers to patient’s sustained, experienced emotional state
Subjective - in patient’s own words, or objective as dysthymic (low) euthymic (normal) or elated
What is affect?
Transient flow of emotion in response to a particular stimulus
What is a mood disorder?
Affective disorder
Any condition characterised by distorted, excessive or inappropriate moods or emotions for a sustained period of time
What is the ICD-10 classification of affective disorders?
Manic episode - hypomania, mania without psychotic symptoms or with them.
Bipolar affective disorder
Depressive episode
Recurrent depressive disorder
Persistent mood disorders - cyclothymia, dysthymia
Other mood disorders
Unspecified mood disorders
What is the classification of a mood disorder?
Primary - does not result from another medical or psychiatric condition. Either unipolar or bipolar
Secondary - results from another condition
What are causes of secondary mood disorders?
Physical e.g. anaemia, hypothyroidism, malignancy, MS
Psychiatric - schizophrenia, alcoholism, dementia, personality disorder
Drug-induced - corticosteroids, digoxin, antiepileptic drugs, antidepressants can induce mania
What is depressive disorder?
Affective mood disorder
Characterised by a persistent low mood, loss of pleasure and/or lack of energy
Accompanied by emotional, cognitive and biological symptoms
What is the monoamine hypothesis?
That a deficiency of monoamines; NA, serotonin and dopamine causes depression.
Overactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis has also been linked to depression.
What are the risk factors for depression?
Bio: - Low monoamines - Being female - Chronic health problem Psycho - Personality type - Poor coping strategies - Mental health co-morbidities Social: - Poor support network - Stressful events
What is beck’s triad for depression?
Negative views about the world
Negative views about oneself
Negative views about the future
What are the core symptoms of depression?
Low mood
Lack of energy
Anhedonia - no pleasure in normally pleasurable activities
What are the other symptoms of depression?
Cognitive:
- Suicidal ideation
- Guilt/worthlessness
- Lack of concentration
Biological:
- Diurnal mood variation
- Loss of appetite
- Early morning wakening
- Loss of libido
- Psychomotor retardation
Psychotic:
- 2nd person auditory hallucinations
- Persecutory, nihilistic, guilt, hypochondriacal delusions
How long must symptoms be present for before considering a diagnosis of depression?
> 2 weeks
What are the DSM-IV (NICE guidelines) stages of depression?
Subthreshold: <5 symptoms
Mild: 5 symptoms with minimal functional impairment, 2 core, 2 other
Moderate: Somewhere between mild and severe, 2 core +3-4 other symptoms
Severe: Most symptoms with significant impairment
With psychosis - 3 core +>4 other and psychosis
What differentials would you consider for depression?
Functional - bipolar, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder
Organic - drug use, dementia, hypothyroidism
How is subthreshold and mild depression managed?
Watchful waiting with monitoring and sleep hygiene advice
Low intensity therapy: Self help, computerised CBT, group physical activity class
Group based CBT
Antidepressants if:
- > 2 years
- Past episode of severe
- Physical health complications
- Failure of other interventions
How is moderate-severe depression managed?
Suicide risk assessment
Psychiatry referral indicated if suicide risk is high, depression severe, recurrent depression or unresponsive to treatment
SSRI are first line e.g. citalopram
Other anti-depressants include tricyclic, SNRIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors prescribed only by specialists
Should be continued for 6 months after resolution of first episode or 2 years after second
High intensity therapy: CBT, IPT, behavioural activation
ECT
When is ECT used in depression?
Life threatening
Psychotic
Severe psychomotor retardation
Failure of other therapies
What are predisposing factors for depression?
Female gender
Neurochemical inbalance
Physical comorbidities
Past history of depression
Personality type Poor coping strategies Other mental health problems Stressful life events Lack of social support
What are the precipitating factors to depression?
Poor compliance with meds Corticosteroids Acute stressful life events Unemployment Poverty Divorce
What are the perpetuating factors to depression?
Chronic health problems e.g. diabetes, COPD, CF
Poor insight, negative thoughts - Beck’s triad
Alcohol and substance misuse
Poor social support and social status
What is the mnemonic for risk factors of depression?
FF, AA, PP, SS
Female, family history
Alcohol, adverse events
Psst depression, physical co-morbidities
Social support, SE status
What are the main symptoms of depression mnemonic?
DEAD SWAMP
Depressed mood
Energy loss
Anhedonia
Death thoughts
Sleep disturbance Worthlessness/guilt Appetite or weight change Mentation - conc reduced Psychomotor retardation