Mood Disorders and Depression

Mood Disorders

• A mood disorder is a mental health classification that describes all types of depression and bipolar disorders.
• Types of mood disorders:
  • Major depression: feeling sad or hopeless, loss of interest in usual activities, and other symptoms for at least 2 weeks.
  • Dysthymia: a chronic, low-grade, depressed, or irritable mood that lasts for at least 2 years.
  • Bipolar disorder: periods of depression alternating with periods of mania or elevated mood.
  • Mood disorder related to another health condition: triggered by medical illnesses, injuries, or chronic illnesses.
  • Substance-induced mood disorder: symptoms of depression caused by the effects of medicine, drug abuse, alcoholism, or other substances.

Causes of Mood Disorders

• Many factors contribute to mood disorders, including:
  • Imbalance of brain chemicals.
  • Life events (stressful life changes) that can contribute to a depressed mood.
  • Mood disorders tend to run in families.

Symptoms of Mood Disorders

• Common symptoms of mood disorders:
  • Ongoing sad, anxious, or “empty” mood.
  • Feeling hopeless or helpless.
  • Low self-esteem.
  • Feeling inadequate or worthless.
  • Excessive guilt.
  • Repeating thoughts of death or suicide.
  • Loss of interest in usual activities.
  • Changes in appetite and/or weight.
  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
  • Decreased energy.
  • Trouble concentrating.
  • A decrease in the ability to make decisions.
  • Frequent physical complaints.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Mood Disorders

• Mood disorders are diagnosed through a complete medical history and psychiatric evaluation.
• Treatment may include:
  • Antidepressant and mood stabilizing medicines.
  • Psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral and/or interpersonal therapy.
  • Family therapy.
  • Other therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial stimulation.

Other Psychological Disorders

• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD):
  • Characterized by a pattern of behavior that results in performance issues in social, educational, or work settings.
  • Includes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
  • Characterized by communication deficits, difficulty with social interactions, and repetitive behaviors.
  • Symptoms fall on a continuum, with some individuals showing mild symptoms and others having more severe symptoms.
• Conduct Disorders:
  • Characterized by behavior that violates the rights of others or major societal norms.
  • Divided into two categories: inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD):
  • Characterized by severe and recurrent temper outbursts that are grossly out of proportion to the situation.
  • Typically diagnosed prior to adulthood.
• Feeding and Eating Disorders:
  • Binge eating disorder: recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances.
  • Anorexia nervosa: characterized by distorted body image and excessive dieting that leads to severe weight loss with a pathological fear of becoming fat.
• Intellectual Disability:
  • Involves impairments of general mental abilities that impact adaptive functioning in three domains: conceptual, social, and practical.
• Internet Gaming Disorder:
  • Characterized by preoccupation with online games, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.

Note: These study notes are a summary of the text and are not meant to be a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all psychological disorders.### Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders

• Gaming Disorder: a condition where individuals spend excessive time playing games, leading to negative impacts on their academic or job functioning.
• Symptoms of withdrawal are observed when individuals are unable to play, similar to those experienced by drug addicts when deprived of their substance.

Hoarding Disorders

• Characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their value.
• Accrued possessions fill up or clutter active living areas, rendering them unusable.
• The behavior has harmful effects on the individual and their family members.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

• A medical illness that affects feelings, thoughts, and behavior, leading to persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities.
• Depression can lead to various emotional and physical problems and requires long-term treatment.

Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder

• Characterized by recurrent skin-picking, resulting in skin lesions and physical problems.
• Individuals must have made repeated attempts to decrease or stop the skin picking, which causes clinically significant distress or impairment.

Personality Disorders

• Associated with ways of thinking and feeling about oneself and others that significantly and adversely affect an individual's functioning.
• Ten distinct types of personality disorders exist, including paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive.

Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

• A level of cognitive decline that requires compensatory strategies, going beyond normal issues of aging.

Other Psychological Disorders

• Gender Dysphoria
• Paraphilic Disorder
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Sleep-Wake Disorders
• Specific Learning Disorder
• Social Communication Disorder
• Somatic Symptom Disorder
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

Prevention and Treatment of Psychological Disorders

• Mental health promotion refers to positive mental health, considering it a resource and a basic human right.
• Strategies include improving nutrition, housing, education, and community networks, as well as reducing economic insecurity and stressors.
• Interventions can be implemented in schools, workplaces, and communities to enhance resilience and reduce risk behavior.

Treatment of Psychological Disorders

• Recognizing the existence of a problem is the first step in treatment.
• Regular medical care allows for early screening tests and prompt evaluation of symptoms and risks.
• Treatment frequently involves psychotherapy, skill development, and thought process improvement, with medication and hospitalization as necessary.
• Common treatments include antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and individual therapy.