Mood Disorders: Symptoms and Diagnosis of Mood Disorders

AFFECTIVE DOMAIN / COGNITIVE DOMAIN / BEHAVIOURAL DOMAIN / PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING
Feelings of hopelessness leading to thoughts of death

Unipolar depression (aka major depression) and Bipolar depression: the difference

Unipolar depression: only depressive conditions occur, no ‘mania’

Bipolar depression: experience depressive episodes as well as episodes of ‘mania’

Mania: an emotional state of intense but unfounded emotion

Symptoms and diagnosis of unipolar depression

Unipolar depression affects approx 5% pf the population and is much more prevalent in women than men. The symptoms experienced must be causing distress or impaired functioning in social and / or occupational roles.

Five or more of the following symptoms during the same 2 week period, at least one of the symptoms is depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure
Depressed mood most of the day
Diminished ability to think or concentrate
Recurrent thoughts of death
Insomnia or hyposomnia nearly everyday
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly everyday
Markedly diminished interest / pleasure in almost all activities most of the day
Signiticant weight loss when not dieting, or weigh gain
Psychomotor agitation (purposeless motions which arise from tension / anxiety e.g. wringing hands, pacing) or retardation (slowing down of thought and reduction of physical movement) nearly every day
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive / inappropriate guilt

Symptoms and diagnosis of bipolar depression

Bipolar depression affects approx 1% of the population and occurs equally in men and women. Most individuals with bipolar 1 disorder experience mixed episodes of mania and depression.

The depressive symptoms are the same as for unipolar disorder(above) but in addition, the individual experiences manic episodes.The symptoms experienced must be causing distress or impaired functioning in social and / or occupational roles.

Diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder
Unusual talkativeness; rapid speech
Distractibility, attention easily diverted
Less than usual amount of sleep needed
Inflated self-esteem; belief that one has special talents, powers and abilities
Increase in activity level: at work, socially or sexually
Flight of ideas / subjective impression that thoughts are racing
Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities

My case study:

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Mania: examples from the Stephen Fry documentary

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Learning Objectives:

•To describe the main symptoms associated with unipolar depression

•To describe the main symptoms associated with bipolar depression

•To explain the diagnostic criteria for mood disorders

June (2011) Past paper question:

Identify two behaviours typically shown by a person in the manic phase of bipolar disorder. (2 marks)

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