PSYC 235 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Bipolar Disorder, Mood Disorder, Psychomotor Retardation

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There is an arbitrary line for diagnosis. Point prevalence = 5% (1. 35 million in canada) Average age of onset = early 20s. Social cost - . 4 billion in canada / million in ontario. 70% of suicides are diagnosed with depression: depression increases suicide risk 4-folf. Symptoms must last at least 2 weeks (average = 6 months) Symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment. In relationships: no interest in activities, withdrawal/isolation, increase in conflict. Persistently depressed mood that continues for at least 2 years (can"t have gone without symptoms for >2 months) Early onset < age 20, greater chronicity, poorer prognosis. Family studies: 1st degree relatives 2-5x more likely to develop unipolar depression; 7-15x more likely to develop bipolar disorder. Twin studies: concordance rates for unipolar depression of 40-59% for mz twins, 20-30% for dz twins; for bipolar disorder: 65% mz, 14% dz.