Mood Disorders Flashcards
burden of disease - mood disorders
33.3 million,
cost per subject = 3406
total costs = 113,405
Episodic nature of mood disorders
Mood disorders, often exhibit an episodic nature characterized by periods of symptoms alternating with periods of relative remission or normal functioning. This episodic pattern can vary widely among individuals and can be influenced by various factors including genetics, environment, life events, and treatment.
addiction
Physiological or psychological dependence on a substance.
Anxiety
A general feeling of apprehension about possible danger.
Epidemiology of unipolar
usually onsets in 20s to 30s
Lifetime morbid risk ~ 10%
Affects females more than males
Epidemiology of bipolar
usually onsets in teens to 20s
lifetime morbid risk is ~1%
affects females and males the same
Stressful life events, and the evidence that they environmentally cause depression
Many kinds of negative stressors predispose to depression
* Physical illness
* Financial problems
* Aging
* Relationship problems
* Abuse
* Academic/professional problems
* 2/3 of MDD is diagnosed after negative life events
life stress precedes depression, but depression also precedes life
stress
(Kendler)
Attributional theory of MDD
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
Internal v. external
People experiencing events may see themselves as the cause.
* “I can’t believe I forgot to make that turn”
* “This neighborhood has such confusing streets”
stable v. unstable
How one explains the extent of the cause
* “I always forget to make that turn”
* “Sometimes I forget to make that turn”
Global v. specific
People may see a situation as affecting all aspects of life
* “I can’t do anything right”
* “Today was so busy, I was thinking about something else more important than that turn. Maybe if the neighborhood wasn’t so confusing. I mean, who designed these
streets?”
Treatment of mood disorders
combination of medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle modifications, and support services
Antidepressant medications, SSRIs, SNRIs, CBT, MOAIs, mood stabilizers, ECT, etc
Link between creativity and bipolar/schizophrenia.
mood disorders are eleveted among creative individuals
Some research suggests that individuals with these conditions may exhibit heightened creativity during certain mood states or due to shared genetic factors influencing cognitive processes related to creativity. Alterations in cognitive and perceptual processes, temperamental traits such as openness to experience, and psychological mechanisms like emotional expression and coping strategies may also contribute to the observed association.
