Psychiatric Conditions Flashcards
What are some features of psychosis ?
Hallucinations ( auditory )
Delusions
Thought disorganisation
Agitation
What are some conditions where psychotic symptoms present ?
Schizophrenia
Depression ( psychotic depression - subtype in the elderly )
Bipolar disorder
Neurological conditions ( parksinons or huntingtons )
Certain illicit drugs ( cannabis )
What are Schneider’s first rank symptoms for schizophrenia ?
Auditory hallucinations
Thought disorders
Passivity phenomena
Delusional perceptions
What are some thought disorders ?
Thought insertion
Thought withdrawal
Thought broadcasting
What is passivity phenomena ?
Bodily sensations being controlled by an external influence
Actions / impulses / feelings - experiences which are imposed on the individual or influenced by others
What is delusional perception ?
It’s a 2 stage process
- a normal object is perceived
- then there is a sudden intense delusional insight into the object
( the traffic light is green so i am the king )
What are some other features of schizophrenia not in the first rank symptoms ?
Impaired insight
Negative symptoms
- blunting of affect
- anhedonia
- social withdrawal
Catatonia
Neologisms ( made up words )
What is needed for a diagnosis of schizophrenia ?
At least 2 of the following symptoms must be present for at least a month :
- persistent delusions
- persistent hallucinations
- disorganised thinking - formal thought disorder
- experiences of passivity phenomena
- negative symptoms
- psychomotor disturbances
What is the management for schizophrenia ?
Oral antipsychotics
CBT
Close monitoring - regular blood tests when on antipsychotics
What are some risk factors for schizophrenia ?
Afro-Caribbean ethnicity
UK migrants
Family history
Winter births
Illicit drug use
Genetics
What features are present in manic psychosis ?
Grandiose delusions
2nd person auditory hallucinations
What are some features in depressive psychosis ?
Guilt, poverty and nihilistic delusions
2nd person auditory hallucinations
What is formal thought disorder ?
A problem of speech ( and flow of thought ) which means that each sentence ( or phrase or word ) does not follow on from the next.
What is a delusion ?
A fixed firmly held belief that is usually false, that cannot be reasoned away, that is held despite evidence to the contrary and is out of keeping with with a persons sociocultural norms
What is a hallucination ?
The perception f an object in the absence of an external stimulus.
What are some types of mood disorder ?
Depression
Bipolar
Persistent mood disorder
What are the core symptoms of depression ?
Continuous low mood for 2 weeks
Lack of energy
Anhedonia ( lack of interest or enjoyment )
What are some somatic symptoms of depression ?
Sleep changes - early morning wakening
Appetite and weight changes
Diurnal variation of mood - worse in the morning
Psychomotor retardation / agitation
Loss of libido
What are some cognitive symptoms of depression ?
Low self esteem
Guilt / self blame
Hoplessness
Hypochondrial thoughts
Poor concentration / attention
Suicidal thoughts
What is needed for a diagnosis of mild depression ?
2 core symptoms.
+
2 others
( able to function )
What is needed for a diagnosis of moderate depression ?
2 core + 3/4 others
What is needed for a diagnosis of severe depression ?
3 core and at least 4 others
What are some risk factors for post natal depression ?
Personal or family history
Older age
Single mother
Unwanted pregnancy
Poor social support
Previous PND
What are some symptoms of hypomania ?
( considerable interference with work/social activity )
Mildly elevated, expansive or irritable mood
Increased energy / activity
Sociability, talkativeness, over familiarity
Increased sex drive
Reduced need for sleep
Difficulty in focusing on one task
What are some symptoms for mania ?
1 week of elevated, expansive or irritable mood
Increased energy / activity -agitated
Grandiosity
Pressure of speech
Flight of ideas
Distractible
Reduced need for sleep
Increased libido
Loss of social inhibitions
Psychotic symptoms
What is cyclothymia ?
Mild periods of elation / depression
Early onset / chronic course
what is dysthymia ?
Chronic low mood not fulfilling the criteria of depression
What is bipolar 1 ?
1 or more manic episodes
With or without
1 or more depressive episodes
What is bipolar 2 ?
1 or more depressive episodes with at least 1 hypomanic episode
What are some biological causes of mood disorders ?
Genetics
Brain illness
Physical illness
What are some psychological causes of mood disorders ?
Childhood experiences
View of yourself and the world
Personality traits
What are some social causes of mood disorders ?
Work, housing and fiancés
Relationships and supoort
What are some biological treatments for mood disorders ?
Pharmacological
ECT - electroconvulsive therapy
RTMS - repetitive transcranial stimulation
TDCS - transcranial direct current stimulation
What are some examples of anti-depressants ?
SSRI
SNRI
TCA
MAOI
What are some mood stabilisers ?
Lithium
Valproate
Carbamazepine
Lamotrigine
What is ECT ?
A treatment that involves sending an electric current through the brain to trigger an epileptic seizure
Performed twice a week for 6 weeks
What are the indications for ECT ?
Severe depressive illness - treatment resistant
Life threatening illness
Prolonged and severe manic episode
Catatonia
High suicide risk
Severe psychomotor retardation
What is rTMS ?
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation involves placing an electromagnetic coil against your head which sends repetitive pulses of magnetic energy at a fixed frequency
What some be avoided in the management of bipolar disorder ?
Antidepressants
What are some psychological treatments for mood disorders ?
Psychoeducation
CBT
Mindfulness
What are some social interventions for mood disorders ?
Targeted interventions
- family
- housing
- financial advice
- employment
- coping strategies
How long should antidepressants be continued after the first episode of depression ?
At least 6-12 months
When does does anxiety become a problem ?
When the response is to a perceived threat / not an actual threat
What is the threshold on PHQ-9 for severe depression ?
A PHQ-9 score of more than 16
What are the treatment options for mild depression ?
Guided self help
Group CBT
Individual CBT
Group mindfulness
SSRI’s
What is the management options for more severe depression ?
CBT
Antidepressants - SSRI, SNRI
Individual CBT
Counselling
What are the 2 screening questions for depression ?
During the last month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless ?
During the last month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things ?
When switching between SSRI’s ( excluding fluoxetine ) what should happen ?
The first one should be stopped before starting the next
When switching from fluoxetine to an SSRI what should happen ?
Withdrawal then leave a gap of 4 - 7 days before starting a low dose SSRI
When switching from SSRI to a TCA what should happen ?
Cross tapering is recommended
( current drug dose is reduced slowly whilst the dose of the new drug is slowly increased )
( exception of fluoxetine which should be withdrawal prior to TCAs being started )
When switching from citalopram and Sertraline to venlafaxine what should happen ?
Cross taper cautiously
Start venlafaxine 37.5mg daily and increase very slowly
When switching from fluoxetine to venlafaxine what should happen ?
Withdraw and then start venlafaxine at 37.5mg each day and slowly increase
What is bipolar disorder ?
A chronic mental health disorder characterised by periods of mania/hypomania alongside episodes of depression
What is the management for bipolar disorder ?
Lithium - first line mood stabiliser
An alternative is valproate
Mania/hypomania - stop antidepressants and start olanzapine or haloperidol
Depression - talking therapies or fluoxetine
What is the mechanism of action of typical antipsychotics ?
Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists blocking dopaminergic transmission in the mesolimbic pathways
What are some common side effects of typical antipsychotics ?
Extra-pyramidal side effects
Hyperprolactinaemia
What are some examples of typical antipsychotics ?
Haloperidol
Chlorpromazine
What is the mechanism of action of atypical antipsychotics ?
Acts on a variety of receptors ( D2, D3, D4 and 5 - HT )
What are some examples of atypical antipsychotics ?
Clozapine
Risperidone
Olanzapine
What are some extra-pyramidal side effects ?
Parkinsonism
Acute Dystonia
Akathisia
Tardive dyskinesia
What is the monitoring required for antipsychotics ?
FBC
U&E’s - start , annually
LFTs
Lipids - start, 3 months and annually
Weight -
BP - baseline and frequent
ECG - baseline
What are some adverse side effects of atypical antipsychotics ?
Weight gain
Hyperprolactinaemia
Clozapine -
- Agranulocytosis
- constipation ( can lead to bowel obstruction )
What are medications that can trigger anxiety ?
Salbutamol
Theophylline
Corticosteroid
Antidepressants
Caffeine
What are differentials for anxiety ?
Hyperthyroidism
Cardiac disease
Mediation induced anxiety
What is the stepwise treatment for GAD ?
Step 1 - education about GAD and active monitoring
Step 2 - low intensity psychological interventions
Step 3 - high intensity psychological interventions ( CBT ) or drug treatment
Step 4 - highly specialist input
What drug treatment is used for GAD ?
Sertraline is first line
Second line is other SSRI or SNRI
Third line offer pregabalin
What is the stepwise management for panic disorder ?
Step 1 - recognition and diagnosis
Step 2 - treatment in primary care
Step 3 - review and consideration of alternative treatment
Step 4 - review and referral to specialist mental health service
Step 5 - care in mental health services
What is the primary care treatment for generalised anxiety disorder ?
CBT or drug treatment - SSRI
What is the grief reaction ?
The normal reaction of people feeling sadness and grief following the death of a loved one and is not necessarily medicalised.
What are the five stages of grief ?
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
What are some features of atypical grief reaction ?
Delayed grief - occurs 2 weeks after passing
Prolonged grief - beyond 12 months
What are some differences between mania and hypomania ?
Mania
- lasts at least 7 days
- severe functional impairment
- may require hospitalisation
- psychotic symptoms
Hypomania
- lesser version of mania
- lasts for less than 7 days
- can be high functioning and does not impair social and work setting
- unlikely to require hospitalisation
- does not exhibit psychotic symptoms