Chapter Seven: Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

Depression

a low, sad state in which life seems dark and its challenges overwhelming

Mania

a state of breathless euphoria / frenzied energy in which people may have an exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking

unipolar depression

depression without a history of mania

bipolar disorder

a disorder marked by alternating or intermixed periods of mania and depression

anhedonia

an inability to experience any pleasure at all

major depressive episode

period of two+ weeks marked by at least 5 symptoms of depression, including sad mood and/or loss of pleasure

delusions

bizarre ideas without foundation

hallucinations

perceptions of things that are not actually present

major depressive disorder

a severe pattern of depression that is disabling and is not caused by such factors as drugs or a general medical condition

catatonic depression

depression marked by either immobility or excessive activity

peripartum depression

depression that occurs during pregnancy or within four weeks of giving birth

melancholic depression

depression where the person is almost totally unaffected by pleasurable events

persistent depressive disorder

a chronic form of unipolar depression marked by ongoing and repeated symptoms of either major or mild depression

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

a disorder marked by repeated episodes of significant depression and related symptoms during the week before menstruation

disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

a combination of persistent depressive symptoms and recurrent outbursts of severe temper

reactive (exogenous) depression

follows clear-cut stressful events

endogenous depression

a response to internal factors

family pedigree studies

select people with unipolar depression as probands, examine their relatives, and see whether depression also afflicts other members of the family

proband

the person who is the focus of a family pedigree study

twin studies

when an identical twin has unipolar depression, theres a 38% chance that the other twin already has / will have the same disorder (compared to 20% for fraternal twins)

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway

brings about the release of hormones at various locations throughout the body

brain circuits

dysfunction of the depression-related circuit is found in ppl with depression

introjection

a person directs all their feelings for the loved one, including sadness and anger, toward themselves

symbolic / imagined loss

the loss of a valued object that is unconsciously interpreted as the loss of a loved one

Aaron Beck

maladaptive attitudes, a cognitive triad, errors in thinking, and automatic thoughts combine to produce unipolar depression

cognitive triad

the three forms of negative thinking that lead people to feel depressed

automatic thoughts

a steady train of unpleasant thoughts that keep suggesting to them that they are inadequate and that their situation is hopeless

reinforcements

rewards and punishments

attribution-helplessness theory

when people view events as beyond their control, they ask themselves why this is so

artifact theory

women and men are equally prone to depression but clinicians often fail to detect depression in men

hormone explanation

hormone changes tigger depression in many women

life stress theory

women in our society are subject to more stress than men

body dissatisfaction explanation

women in Western society are taught to seek a low body weight and slender body shape, and when their dissatisfied, they become depressed

lack-of-control theory

women are more prone to depression bc they feel less control over their lives

rumination theory

women are more likely to ruminate when their mood darkens, making them more vulnerable to the onset of clinical depression

low-self concept

a temperament marked by feelings such as guilt, a negative style of thinking, general feelings of helplessness, and/or interpersonal dependence

bipolar I disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes

alternation of the episodes

weeks of mania, period of wellness, episode of depression

mixed features

display both manic and depressive symptoms within the same episode

bipolar II disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by mildly manic (hypomanic) episodes and major depressive episodes

rapid cycling

a person with bipolar disorder has 4+ episodes within a year

cyclothymic disorder

a disorder marked by numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms