Exam 3 PSYC 330

Major Depressive Disorder Criteria

5+ symptoms during the same 2-week period

Must include depressed mood or loss of interest/ pleasure

Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

Sleep changes

Appetite/weight changes

Fatigue

Worthlessness/guilt

Concentration problems

Psychomotor changes

Suicidal ideation

Major Depressive Disorder Requirements

Distress/impairment

Not substance/medical condition

No manic/hypomanic history

Persistent Depressive Disorder Criteria

Depressed mood most of the day for more than 2 years

Persistent Depressive Disorder Symptoms

2 or more:

Low energy

Low self-esteem

Poor concentration

Appetite/sleep changes

Hopelessness

Persistent Depressive Disorder Requirements

Symptom-free for no longer than 2 months

No mania/hypomania

Not explained by substance, disorder, or medical condition

Distress/impairment

MDD Genetics

First-degree relatives of individuals with MDD are about twice as likely to develop MDD compared to the general population

Monoamine depletion model of depression

A theory suggesting that depression is linked to low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain

Neurotransmitters involved in the biochemical explanation of depression

Serotonin

Norepinephrine

Role of cortisol in depression

Stress hormone

Ketamine based antidepressants

Ketamine boosts glutamate, works fast, can be combined with other meds, and is used for severe or treatment-resistant depression

Brain Stimulation Methods for depression

Electroconclusive therapy

Vagus nerve stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Deep brain stimulation

Behavioral perspective on depression

Low response-contingent positive reinforcement (not enough rewards from environment)

Lack of social skills → fewer social rewards

Learned helplessness (feeling nothing you do matters)

Pessimistic attributional style (explaining bad events as internal, stable, global causes)

Hopelessness (expecting negative outcomes no matter what)

Cognitive distortions (depression)

Overgeneralizing (one bad event = always bad outcomes)

Selective abstraction (focusing only on negatives)

Excessive responsibility (blaming yourself too much)

Assuming temporal causality (assuming one event caused another without proof)

Excessive self-reference (taking things personally)

Catastrophizing (expecting worst-case scenario)

Dichotomous thinking (all-or-nothing thinking)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (depression)

Behavioral activation → increasing positive activities

Cognitive therapy → challenging negative thought patterns