Mood Disorders Psychological Disorders

Mood Disorders--Psychological Disorders

Disorder Symptoms Possible Causes Other Information Major Depressive Disorder Intense depressed mood, reduced Often a response to past and AKA Unipolar Depression interest or pleasure in activities, current loss loss of energy, and problems in Prevalence of depression has been making decisions for at least two Biological: too little increasing, affecting at least twice weeks norepenephrine or serotonin as many women as men during depression 5.8% of men and 9.5% of women Person feels sad, hopeless, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil increase discouraged, down, and frequently availability of serotonin by Most common mood disorder; isolated, rejected, and unloved blocking reuptake often referred to as “common cold of all psychological disorders” Changes in eating, sleeping, motor Lower levels of omega-3 fatty Although phobias are more activity acids common, depression is the number 1 reason people seek mental health PET and fMRI scans reveal Lack of pleasure in activities that services. lowered brain energy consumption usually caused pleasure in past It is the leading cause of in people with depression, disabilities worldwide. Low self-esteem, pessimism, especially in the left frontal lobe, associated with positive emotions reduced motivation, generalization Seems to run in families, of negative attitudes, exaggeration MRI and CAT scans show suggesting a genetic component of seriousness of problems, abnormal shrinkage of frontal slowed thought process, suicidal lobes in severely depressed Rate of depression is increasing thoughts, inappropriate guilt, and individuals and is striking earlier (now often other faulty beliefs in late teens). Hippocampus is vulnerable to stress-related damage Repetitive physical exercise, such as jogging, reduces depression as Cognitive: pessimistic it increases serotonin. attributional styles seem more likely to promote depression

Psychoanalysts: associate depression to early loss of or rejection by a parent, resulting in depression when the person experiences personal losses later in life and turns anger inside; also view depression as the product of anger directed inward; overly punitive superego

Behaviorists: depressed people elicit negative reactions from others, resulting in maintenance of depressed behaviors

Social-cognitive/Cognitive Behavioral: self-defeating beliefs that may arise from learned helplessness influence biochemical events, fueling depression Learned helplessness (Martin Seligman): the feeling of futility and passive resignation that results from inability to avoid repeated aversive events

Martin Seligman: When a bad event happens, people with a negative (pessimistic) explanatory style think the bad events will last forever, affect everything they do, and are all their fault; they give stable, global, internal explanations. (page 674)

Aaron Beck’s cognitive triad theory: Depressed individuals have a negative view of themselves, their circumstances/world, and their future possibilities, and that they generalize from negative events.

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema’s ruminations theory: Depressed people who ruminate are prone to more intense depression than those who distract themselves.

Depression with Seasonal Pattern Type of depression that recurs, Hypothesis: shorter periods of AKA Seasonal Affective Disorder (AKA Seasonal Affective usually during the winter months and less direct sunlight during Disorder--SAD) in the northern latitudes winter disturbs both mood and Prevalence of depression has been sleep/wake schedules, bringing on increasing, affecting at least twice depression as many women as men Often treated with light therapy Biological: too little norepenephrine or serotonin during depression Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil increase availability of serotonin by blocking reuptake

PET and fMRI scans reveal lowered brain energy consumption in people with depression, especially in the left frontal lobe, associated with positive emotions

MRI and CAT scans show abnormal shrinkage of frontal lobes in severely depressed individuals

Cognitive: pessimistic attributional styles seem more likely to promote depression Psychoanalysts: associate depression to early loss of or rejection by a parent, resulting in depression when the person experiences personal losses later in life and turns anger inside; also view depression as the product of anger directed inward; overly punitive superego

Behaviorists: depressed people elicit negative reactions from others, resulting in maintenance of depressed behaviors

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema’s ruminations theory: Depressed people who ruminate are prone to more intense depression than those who distract themselves.

Disorder Symptoms Possible Causes Other Information Bipolar Disorder Mood swings alternating between Biological: too much AKA Manic Depression periods of major depression and norepinephrine during mania; too mania little norepenephrine or serotonin Rapid cycling is usually during depression characterized by short periods of Manic state: high energy, inflated Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil increase mania followed almost ego, little need for sleep, excessive availability of serotonin by immediately by deep depression, talking, and impulsivity blocking reuptake usually of longer duration. Some feel anxious and irritable May lead to reckless behavior Biological: People with bipolar Newer drug treatments, such as disorder have more receptors for lithium carbonate, have proved acetylcholine in their brains and successful in bringing symptoms skin. under control for many sufferers.

Seems to run in families, suggesting a genetic component

Manic episodes may fuel creativity.

It afflicts as many men as women. Everything in teal/blue is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Maitland, L. & Hannah, P. (2008). Five Steps to a 5—AP Psychology. San Francisco: McGraw Hill.

Everything in pink is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Weseley, A. & McEntarffer, R. (2007). AP Psychology. New York: Barron’s.

Everything in yellow is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules. New York: Worth Publishers.