PSY-1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 32: Twin, Bipolar Disorder, Explanatory Style
Document Summary
Mood disorders: a group of disorders distinguished primarily by changes in positive and negative affective state. Emotional extremes of mood disorders come in two principal forms: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder. Genetic influences: mood disorders run in families; high hereditability, concordance rates between identical twins are around 2 to 3 times higher than rates between fraternal twins. Environmental influences: a number of studies have implicated life stressors in many cases of depression, life crises often trigger depression. Pharmacological treatment: antidepressants treat symptoms, not causes. Neurological influences: medications increasing availability of norepinephrine and serotonin may help alleviate depression. Cognitive-behavioral treatment: just as effective as antidepressants in treating depression, often used in conjunction with antidepressants, cbt creates more adaptive coping mechanism. Electroconvulsive treatment (ect: a procedure that involves administering a strong electrical current to the patient"s brain to produce a seizure, used infrequently; only for sever depression.
