Psychiatry Flashcards
How does ICD10 define mild, moderate, severe depression?
For 2 weeks:
mild = 2 core + 2 typical
mod = 3 core + 2 typical
severe = 4 core + 3 typical
What are the 10 core symptoms of depression?
For atleast 2 weeks
- Depressed mood for most of the day nearly everyday
- Anhedonia
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Weight change associated with appetite change
- Disturbed sleep (insomnia ie early waking, or hypersomnia)
- Reduced libido
- Reduced ability to concentrate
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation
- Feelings of guilt/worthlessness
- Recurrent thoughts of death/suicide
How would you initially assess someone with depression?
Assess Suicide Risk!!!
Distress Thermometer for those with communication difficulties (investigate >4)
Depression questionnaires:
PHQ-9
HADS
BDI-II
What are some investigations you would do for depression?
Standard = FBC, U&Es, B12, Folate, ESR, LFTs, TFTs, Glucose, Ca2+
- Urine/Blood toxicology
- Breath/Blood alcohol
- ABG
- Thyroid antibodies
- Antinuclear Antibodies (SLE)
- Syphilis serology
- Electrolytes (Phosphate, Magnesium, Zinc)
- Dexamethasone Suppression Test (Cushings)
- Syncathen test or 9am cortisol (Addisons)
- LP
- CT/MRI/EEG
How would you initially manage mild depression
- Suicide risk? Contact Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHT)
- Safeguarding for their children etc
- Manage Comorbid
- Sleep hygiene advice for insomnia
Subthreshold =
- address concerns
- provide info (self help groups, support groups, organisations like MIND)
- follow up in 2 weeks if they don’t want treatment
Mild =
- 1st line = Low intensity psychosocial intervention (individual guided self-help based on CBT principles, Computerised CBT, Structured group-based physical activity programme)
- or Group based CBT
How would you initially manage mod-severe depression?
- Suicide risk? Contact Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHT)
- Safeguarding for their children etc
- Manage Comorbid
- Sleep hygiene advice for insomnia
Bio
- Antidepressant (1st line SSRI like citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline + gastroprotection)
- Review effects in 2-4 weeks and enquire about adherence/adverse effects.
Psycho
- AND High intensity Psychological Intervention (individual CBT to recognise stressors, interpersonal therapy, couples therapy)
- OR Counselling and short-term psychodynamic therapy (if antidepressants + HIPI declined)
How would you manage an atypical depressive episode
1st line = Phenelzine
How would you manage SAD?
Bright Light Therapy
Pharm = SSRIs, Pre-Sunrise propranolol to suppress morning melatonin, Melatonin at night
Psych = Standard CBT
How is dysthymia different to depression?
depressed mood lasting over 2 years
(less severe, more chronic than depression)
Similar core symptoms, no suicidal ideation
What is the diagnostic criteria for the 2 types of bipolar?
ICD10 =
- at least 2 episodes of extreme mood, one of which must be hypomanic/manic/mixed
- (recovery usually complete between episodes but if not = rapid cycling)
- Type 1 = Mania +/- depressive episodes
- Type 2 = Hypomania +/- depressive episodes
What is the difference between mania and hypomania?
Mania
- grandiose plans and self regard
- increased energy, reduced sleep
- flight of ideas, pressured speech
- reduced attention
- irritation
- disinhibition (eg. over familiarity)
- impulsive risky behaviour
Hypomania is elated mood but not severe enough to interfere with social/occupational functioning like mania.
Hypomania does not include psychotic features.
How would you generally manage a severe acute bipolar episode?
Hospital admission if eg. high risk of suicide, severe psychotic/depressive/rapid cycling symptoms etc
Psychotic symptoms = antipsychotic with mood stabilising properties (eg. olanzapine or quetiapine)
Catatonic symptoms = admit, mood stabilising antipsychotic, BDZ, ECT
How would you manage a bipolar patient with mania longterm
Mood stabiliser = 1st line is Lithium
Can consider anticonvulsants for longterm mood stabilisers
(SV, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine)
Can consider antipsychotics for episodes of mania/hypomania
(olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone)
What would you have to do to start, monitor and stop lithium
Before
- Weight/BMI
- U&Es (eg. Ca2+)
- eGFR
- TFT
- FBC
- ECG for CVS risk
- Shared care arrangement with GP
- Info = maintain fluid intake, do not take NSAIDs
During
- Plasma Lithium 1 week after every dose change (12 hours after dose), then weekly until stable , then every 3 months for 1st year
- BMI, U&Es (eg. Ca2+), eGFR, TFT every 6 months
- monitor for neurotoxicity (paraesthesia, ataxia, tremor, cognitive impairment)
Stopping
- reduce over atleast 4 weeks - monitor for mania/depression
How would you manage a bipolar patient with depression longterm?
Bio
- Antidepressants eg. fluoxetine
- Mood stabiliser eg. lithium
-
Quetiapine if not already on antipsychotic
- (acts as antipsychotic, mood stabiliser, antidepressant)
Psycho
CBT to reduced relapses, interpersonal therapy and behavioural couples therapy
Social
Regular exercise
Define a panic attack
period of intense fear characterised by symptoms
(palpitations, sweating, SOB, chest pain, dizziness, feeling of imminent doom, numbness, feelings of detachment, etc)
that develop rapidly, reach a peak intensity in about 10 mins and generally do not last longer than 20-30 mins.
How would you manage panic disorder?
1st line Psych = CBT teaches you how to manage feelings that come on with a panic attack
Bio =
Antidepressants for atleast 6 months after optimal dose is reached
-
1st line = SSRI (escitalopram, sertraline, citalopram, paroxetine)
- OR SNRI (venlafaxine)
- 2nd line if SSRI unsuccessful after 12 weeks = imipramine or clomipramine (or an SNRI)
How would you manage simple/specific phobias?
Psych =
- Behavioural therapy (Exposure techniques)
- Reciprocal inhibition
- Modelling
- Cognitive methods
Pharm =
- Diazepam to allow patient to engage in exposure
- B Blocker can reduce sympathetic arousal
What is agoraphobia
Panic symptoms associated with places or situations where escape is difficult or embarrassing (eg. crowds, public places), resulting in avoidance
How would you manage agoraphobia?
- CBT = exposure techniques, relaxation training, etc
- Pharm = antidepressants like citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine
Definition of GAD?
Generalised and persistent excessive worry about everyday issues, disproportionate to any inherent risk, causing distress or impairment for atleast 6 months
How would you manage a patient with GAD?
Initially
- GAD7 and Suicide Risk
1st line =
- Educate about GAD
- address environmental stressors and comorbid
- Monitor Sleep hygiene
- regular exercise
2nd line =
Low intensity Psychological Interventions eg. face to face/ telephone therapist sessions, psychoeducational groups and self-help manuals
3rd line =
- High intensity Psychological Intervention like CBT or applied relaxation
- OR Pharm
- 1st line = SSRI (sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram)
- 2nd line = another SSRI or an SNRI (duloxetine, venlafaxine)
- 3rd line = Pregabalin
*** See within a week and then monitor weekly for first month in patients under 30 that have been started on SSRI/SNRI due to risk of suicide
What is adjustment disorder? (time span)
ICD10…
Must occur within 1 month of a psychosocial stressor and should not persist for longer than 6 months after the stressor is removed
ICD10 says a brief depressive reaction is >1 month but can result in a prolonged depressive reaction (>6 months but <2years)
How would you manage adjustment disorder?
Bio =
- antidepressants or anxiolytics/hypnotics if symptoms are too destressing
Psych =
- supportive psychotherapy
- specific support groups eg. bereavement
Social =
- practical support eg. carers/childcare
- financial support, benefits,
- OT assessment
What are the 3 clinical features of PTSD?
must persist at least 6 months after the traumatic event!!! so not adjustment disorder.
Re-experiencing
(flashbacks, nightmares, distressing images or sensory impressions that intrude in the waking day, reminders of the event provoke distress)
Avoidance
(suppress memories or avoid circumstances that remind them of the trauma)
OR
Rumination (prevent themselves from moving on or coming to terms with the event eg. excessively thinking about how it could have been prevented)
Hyperarousal
(Exaggerated startle response, sleep disturbance, irritable, problems concentrating)
OR
Emotional Numbing (feelings of detachment, giving up previously significant activities, etc)
How are children more likely to present in PTSD?
Nightmares and sleep disturbance
Avoidance symptoms
How would you manage a PTSD patient?
- Address comorbid (commonly substance misuse)
- Risk assess (may refer to CRHT)
Psych
- 1st line = Trauma focused CBT (evaluate thinking patterns)
- Consider EMDR in adults presenting 1-3 months after trauma
Pharm if patient prefers
- 1st line = Venlafaxine or SSRI (Sertraline)
- If unresponsive to other drugs/psych
- Antipsychotic like Risperidone + Psych therapies
- <1 month hypnotics for insomnia
How would you diagnose OCD?
Obsessional thoughts and Compulsive acts present on most days for atleast 2 weeks.
O&C must be…
- repetitive and unpleasant
- from the patients own mind and not be imposed by outside influences
- atleast one O/C must be acknowledged as excessive/unreasonable
- at least one must be unsuccessfully resisted
- they cause distress and interfere with daily functioning
What are the 6 screening questions for OCD?
- Do you wash or clean a lot?
- Do you check things a lot?
- Is there any thought that keeps bothering you that you would like to be rid of but cannot?
- Do your daily activities take a long time to finish?
- Are you concerned about putting things in a special order or are you very upset by mess?
- Do these problems trouble you?
How would you manage an OCD patient?
Initial =
- Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive scale
- Safeguard children/vulnerable adults
Mild functional impairment =
- Low Intensity Individual CBT (including Exposure and Response Prevention)
- OR Group CBT+ERP
Mod
- SSRI (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline)
- OR intensive CBT+ERP
Severe =
- SSRI AND intensive CBT+ERP
- If unresponsive, try Clomipramine alone.
What are features of EUPD?
- >18 years old
- unstable relationships and self image
- recurrent self harm and suicide threats
- depression
- bouts of anger
- impulsive behaviour
- transient psychotic symptoms
What are some psychological tests you can do for PD?
Diagnostic Interview for DSMIV Personality Disorders (DIPD-IV)
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II)
Personality Assessment Schedule (PAS)
Standardised Assessment of Personality (SAP)
International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE)
How would you manage a crisis in someone with EUPD?
by Community mental health services:
- short term drug treatment like sedative antihistamines (eg. promethazine)
- follow up after and plan to stop drugs within 1 week
- develop a crisis plan to identify triggers and find self management strategies
- provide support numbers for out of hours teams and crisis teams
How would you manage someone with EUPD Long term
by Community Mental Health Services or CAMHS
Bio =
- NICE only recommends drugs for comorbid
- Insomnia = sleep hygiene, zopiclone/zaleplon/zolpidem
Psych =
- psychotherapy for atleast 3 months.
- Can try Comprehensive Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Programme where reducing recurrent self harm is a priority
How would you diagnose Dissocial PD?
ICD10 - atleast 3 of the following
- callous unconcern for feelings of others
- gross and persistent disregard for social norms/rules/obligations
- incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though no difficulty to establish them
- low tolerance to frustration, often aggression
- incapacity to experience guilt or profit from adverse experience eg. punishment
- blame others or offer rationalisations for behaviour bringing the patient into conflict with society