1.6 normal or abnormal problem 2 blue and beyond summary

Notes problem 2

Bipolar disorder/ maniac depression: characterised by highs and lows, when you are in the highs no
one can keep up with you and your great plans but when you are in a low it feels like the world is
crumbling beneath your feet.

What is a mood disorder?



- Depressive disorder: only depression and not mania. Only lows and not highs.

o Characteristics:

 Depression takes over the whole person- emotions, bodily functions,
behaviours and thoughts.

 Depressed mood out of proportion to any cause. Anhedonia: loss of interest
in everything in your life.

 Eating, sleeping and activity levels differ per person with depression.

 Psychomotor retardation: behaviourally slowed down by the body e.g.
walking really slow or reacting really slow.

 Psychomotor agitation: behaviourally sped up e.g. cannot sit still, restless
must move at all times.

 Less energy and more and faster fatigued.

 Thoughts include: worthlessness, guilt, hopelessness and even suicide.

 In some severe cases people lose touch with reality and start having
delusions or hallucinations.

o Diagnosing depressive disorder

 Takes several forms:

 Major depressive disorder: depressed mood or loss of interest in
usual activities plus at least four other symptoms of depression
chronically for at least two weeks. The symptoms must be severe
enough to interfere with everyday life. One episode  major
depressive disorder, single episode. Two or more episodes separated
by at least two consecutive months without symptoms  major
depressive disorder, recurrent episode.

 Complicated grief: when a person has lost someone and they feel
depressed but there is a note that they should not be labelled with
major depressive disorders unless there are more atypical symptoms
such as worthlessness or suicidal thoughts.

 Persistent depressive disorder: depressed mood for most of the day,
for more days than not, for at least two consecutive years. Children
and adolescents: requires depressed or irritable mood for at least
one year. Plus two or more of the following: poor appetite, insomnia
or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self-esteem, poor

, concentration and/or hopelessness. During the two years which one
of them in adolescence the person must never have been without
the symptoms of depression for a period longer than two months.

 When an individual is diagnosed with major depressive disorder for two
years they also get a diagnosis of persistent depressive disorder because
research failed to find a major differences.  could be a question during
post-discussion!

 Over 70% of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder or persistent
depressive disorder also have another psychological disorder at some time in
their life. The most common disorders that comorbid with these are:
substance abuse, anxiety disorders and eating disorders.

 Depression can cause another disorder or another disorder is the cause of
depression.

 Anxiety and depression often appear together, also there are a lot of
combined disorders such as depression with anxious distress.






 Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: significant increase in distress during the
premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle.

o Prevalence and course

 Range from 3% to 16% depending on culture and country.

 Women more twice as more likely to experience mild and severe disorders.

 75% of people with a depressive episode are likely to relapse.

 Most common reason to not seek help: expectations to get over the
symptoms on their own and belief that the symptoms are simply a phase
that will pass and wont affect their life long term.

o Low rate of depression among 65+: Difficulties diagnosing depression among elders
is complicated: they are most of the time less willing to seek for help, depressive
symptoms often occur in the context of serious medical illness, they are more likely