PS280 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Episode, Hypomania
Mood Disorders
Depressive Disorders
● Major depressive disorder
● Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
Bipolar Disorders
● Bipolar I and II disorders
● Cyclothymic disorder
____________________________________________________________________________
Depression
Major Depressive Disorder
● Clinical description - symptoms
○ Depressed mood
○ Anhedonia → losing interest or pleasure in things you usually enjoy
■ One of these two symptoms required but most often present together
○ Difficulty concentrating and/or difficulty making decisions → eg deciding what to
eat/wear, decisions that used to be simple
○ Difficulty sleeping → sleeping too much or not being able to sleep, early morning
awakening
○ Increased or decreased weight/appetite → people often lose weight when they
are not trying to lose weight, not going to same effort to eat or make meals
○ Psychomotor agitation or retardation → either moving more slowly or unable to sit
still, is it noticeable to other people?
○ Decreased energy → even if people sleeping more
○ Worthlessness and/or guilt → guilt can be about things they have done or not
done, things from the past, guilt around not enjoying activities for eg
○ Suicide ideation
● Symptoms present most of the day, nearly every day for 2 weeks
● Must have one of the first two and at least 5 of the other 9 symptoms
● Single episode or recurrent
○ No manic/hypomanic episodes
○ 50% of people who recover from an episode of depression have a 2nd episode
○ Average = 4 episodes
Persistent Depressive Disorder
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
● Clinical description - similar to major depression but different course
○ Persistently depressed mood for 2+ years
○ Cannot be symptom free > 2 months
○ Milder symptoms
■ Low mood more days than not
■ 2 more symptoms on top of low mood → for eg low self esteem and
difficult decision making
Depressive Disorders
● Overlap → suffer from both: persistent and major
Bipolar Disorders
● Mania (1 week) and hypomania (4 days)
● Elevated mood → high, excited, hyper, elated, must be present for diagnosis of mania or
hypomania
● Grandiosity → inflated self esteem, may believe oneself has special
talents/powers/abilities
● Less need for sleep
● Increased activity → work, socially
● Reckless activity → for eg investing money
● Rapid speech → unusually talkative without regard for others
● Flight of ideas → so many ideas in their heads they can’t get them all out, might cause
others to feel overwhelmed
● Distractibility
Bipolar I
● Manic episode(s)
● (Major depressive episodes) → is not required but vast majority of people diagnosed
have both
Bipolar II
● Major depressive episode(s)
● Hypomanic episode(s)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Anhedonia losing interest or pleasure in things you usually enjoy. One of these two symptoms required but most often present together. Difficulty concentrating and/or difficulty making decisions eg deciding what to eat/wear, decisions that used to be simple. Difficulty sleeping sleeping too much or not being able to sleep, early morning awakening. Increased or decreased weight/appetite people often lose weight when they are not trying to lose weight, not going to same effort to eat or make meals. Decreased energy even if people sleeping more. Worthlessness and/or guilt guilt can be about things they have done or not done, things from the past, guilt around not enjoying activities for eg suicide ideation. Symptoms present most of the day, nearly every day for 2 weeks. Must have one of the first two and at least 5 of the other 9 symptoms. 50% of people who recover from an episode of depression have a 2nd episode.
