Download Mood disorders Psychological Disorders Day 3

Mood Disorders
In any given 1-year period, 9.5% of the population, or about
18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness.
depression
• 2. A depressive disorders involve the body, mood and thoughts.
• 2. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about
oneself, and the way one thinks about things.
• 3. Nearly everyone will experience at least some type of mild depression in
their life often due to some external sad event.
• 3. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing sad mood. It is
not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished
away.
• 4. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves
together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks,
months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most
people who suffer from depression.
symptoms of depression
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty"
mood
Changes in appetite and weight loss
or weight gain
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness,
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide
helplessness
attempts
Loss of interest in hobbies and
activities that were once enjoyed
Decreased energy, fatigue, being
"slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering,
making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening,
or oversleeping
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do
not respond to treatment, such as
headaches, digestive disorders, and
chronic pain
types
of
mood
disorders
Major Depressive Disorder
Combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study,
sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities.
Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once but more
commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.
5 (or more) of the symptoms have been
present during the same 2-week period
Dysthmia (Dysthymic disorder)
A less severe type of depression, dysthymia,
involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do
not disable, but keep one from functioning well
or from feeling good. Many people with
dysthymia also experience major depressive
episodes at some time in their lives.
Depressed mood for most of the day, for
more days than not, as indicated either by
subjective account or observation by others,
for at least 2 years. Less severe than major
depressive disorder.
gender differences in rates of depression
 Women experience depression about twice as often as
men.
 Although men are less likely to suffer from depression than
women, 3 to 4 million men in the United States are affected by
the illness. Men are less likely to admit to depression, and
doctors are less likely to suspect it.
 The rate of suicide in men is four times that of women,
though more women attempt it. In fact, after age 70, the rate of
men's suicide rises, reaching a peak after age 85.
Gender and Depression
25
Percentage
of population
aged 18-84
experiencing
major
depression
at some
point In life
Around the world
women are more
susceptible to
depression
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
USA Edmonton Puerto
Rico
Males
Females
Paris
West
Florence Beirut
Germany
Taiwan
Korea
New
Zealand
Gender and Depression
10%
Percentage 8
depressed
Females
6
4
2
0
Males
12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Age in Years
explaining depression
Social-cognitive
Biological
“attributional theory”
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
(people suffering from depression tend
to have low levels of both of these
neurotransmitters)
•Genetics
•(if an identical twin suffers from major
depressive disorder or bipolar disorder
the chances that the other twin will
experience symptoms is higher than
those with a fraternal twin who is
suffering)
the depressed person tends to think:
Behavioral
Learned helplessness
internal
("it's my fault"),
stable
("things can't change")
global
("this affects everything")
symptoms of bipolar disorder
Cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression)
Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that
cause serious problems and embarrassment. Mania, left untreated, may
worsen to a psychotic state.
Symptoms of Mania:
Abnormal or excessive elation
Overactive / overtalkative
Unusual irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose notions
Racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment
Inappropriate social behavior
Seasonal Affective Disorder
• regularly occurring symptoms of depression (excessive eating and
sleeping, weight gain) during the fall or winter months
• full remission from depression occurs in the spring and summer
months
• symptoms have occurred in the past two years, with no nonseasonal
depression episodes
• seasonal episodes substantially outnumber nonseasonal depression
episodes.
• a craving for sugary and/or starchy foods
CAUSE OF SAD?
Melatonin is normally released by the pineal gland in the evening
as sunlight is diminishing. Melatonin causes us to feel tired and
withdraw. This helps us to sleep, but if we have to be awake when
melatonin is in our system, we become lethargic, disoriented,
irritable and moody. Almost everyone with a mood disorder suffers
worse in the winter because of excess melatonin in his or her
system.