Class notes
Abnormal Psychology Study Guide 2
- Course
- Abnormal psychology
- Institution
- Washington University In St. Louis
Study guide/class notes for Abnormal Psychology
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Abnormal PsychologySpring 2017
EXAM 2
Chapter 5: MOOD DISORDERS
Basic Definitions of Mood Disorders:
Unipolar: person experiences only episodes of depression; major depressive
disorder
Bipolar: person experiences episodes of mania (and episodes of depression in
most cases)
Episodic: disorders that occur for a discreet amount of time; not chronic or stable
disorders -> mood disorders should be thought of as episodic
Affect: the pattern of observable behaviors such a facial expressions/pitch of
voice/hand and body movements that are associated with subjective feelings
Mood: a pervasive and sustained emotional response, that, in its extreme form
can color the person’s perception of the world
Unipolar Mood Disorders:
Major Depressive Episode:
o Depressed mood
o Anhedonia: loss of interest or pleasure
Losing interest in things that you typically enjoy
A change in your emotions that affect things you would typically
receive pleasure from before
o To meet criteria, must have at least one of the first 2 symptoms for nearly
every day for at least 2 weeks
o Additional Symptoms: must have a total of 5 of the 9 symptoms (1 or 2
from above)
Weight or appetite change: typically people lose weight and are not
trying
Sleep disturbance: more typical to sleep less; could have trouble
falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night
Psychomotor agitation or retardation:
Agitation: moving around a lot; restlessness
Retardation: the opposite of agitation; not moving a lot or
being responsive
Fatigue: feeling tired all the time and that your body parts are
heavier than normal
Worthlessness or excessive guilt:
Feeling that your life has no value or that you are worthless
Feeling guilt over things that are small (forgetting to call
your mom); not being able to move past small mistakes
Inability to concentrate or indecisiveness:
Having to reread
Not being able to concentration on conversation
1
, Not being able to decide what to wear or what to eat; a
more extreme level of indecisiveness than usual
Thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, plan or attempt
o At least 1 major depressive episode that must last at least 2 weeks; no
manic or hypomanic episodes
o Major depression is very different from depressed mood
o Children: somatic complaints, irritability, and social withdrawal
o Preadolescents: sometimes includes aggressiveness and destructiveness
o Older adults: more cognitive symptoms such as memory loss,
distractibility, and disorientation
o Somatic symptoms: related to basic physiological or bodily functions like
fatigue, aches and pains, sleep patterns and appetite
o Psychomotor retardation: several features of behavior that may accompany
the onset of serious depression like slowed movements, less talkative,
immobility
Persistent Depressive Disorder/Dysthymia:
o Symptoms:
Depressed mood for most of the day on more days than not at least
2 years
Poor appetite or overeating
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Low energy or fatigue
Low self-esteem: less severe than worthlessness
Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
Feelings of hopelessness
o Less severe than major depression, but lasts for longer periods of time (2
years)
o You can feel better for a little bit of time but not for too long
o Average lasting time is 4-5 years
o Graph shows person having symptoms
Symptoms cause clinical significant distress or impairment in occupational,
social, or other important areas of function
No manic or hypomanic episodes
Cannot be due to general medical condition or direct physiological effects of a
substance (can’t be brought on by a medication)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
o Premenstrual symptoms that center around emotional and physical areas
with increased severity causing obvious social and occupational
impairment
o Category remains controversial
o Symptoms
Mood lability
Irritability
Dysphoria
Anxiety
2
, Cognitive – difficulty concentrating, overwhelmed and out of
control
Somatic – lethargy, changes in appetite, sleep problems, joint or
muscle pain, feelings of bloating
o At least five of these symptoms, one of which being a disturbance in mood
Bipolar Disorders:
Bipolar Mood Disorder:
o Needs to include a manic episode and possibly a depressive episode
o The depressive episode occurs right after the manic episode
o When people are in a manic episode, they do these things that don’t
characterize themselves and end up doing things that leave their life in
shambles -> leads to the depressive episode
o Manic Episode Symptoms: must have 3 if euphoric, 4 is elevated mood
Elevated mood, expansive or irritable mood:
Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity: feel like you can do anything or
that you are special in some sort of way
Decrease need for sleep: seen as a hallmark symptom of a manic
episode; people don’t sleep and don’t report being tired
More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking: hard to
interrupt someone because they keep going and aren’t making
sense
Flight of ideas or racing thoughts
Distractibility
Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation: people
are extremely motivated to get things done and do crazy things in
short amounts of time; people have to do lists
Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high
potential for painful consequences: gambling, driving recklessly,
having sex with strangers, buying expensive items
o Symptoms cause impairment or hospitalization or psychotic features
o Cannot be due to effects of a substance or a general medical condition
Bipolar II Disorder:
o One major depressive episode
o At least one hypomanic episode (increased energy that are not sufficiently
severe to qualify as full-blown mania)
o Symptoms same as manic episode but the duration is shorter and
symptoms are less severe
o Must be noticeable to others but does not cause impairment
o Ex: 1 depressive episode and 1 hypomanic but no full manic
Clyclothymia:
o Frequent periods of depression and hypomanic over two years
o No history of major depressive episodes or manic episodes
o Mania: at least 2 years of numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms (no
manic episodes)
3
, o Depression: at least 2 years of depressive symptoms (no major depressive
episodes)
Subtypes:
Episode specifiers: more specific descriptions of symptoms that were present
during the most recent episode of depression
Severe with Psychotic Features:
o Delusion: erroneous beliefs and misinterpretations (someone is out to get
me)
Major depressive episode (mood congruent): One day I will be
punished for being such a bad person
Major depressive episode (mood incongruent): Aliens are putting
thoughts into my head
Manic episode (mood congruent): I am the smartest person on
earth and I will rule the world
Manic episode (mood incongruent): Someone is trying to poison
me
o Hallucination: auditory are most common
Major depressive episode (mood congruent): Voices tell me that I
am a bad person
Major depressive episode (mood incongruent): I hear sleigh-bells
ringing
Manic episode (mood congruent): Voices tell me how great I am
Manic episode (mood incongruent): I see purple monkeys
o These are alarming symptoms that are considered much more severe
Course specifiers: more extensive descriptions of the pattern that the disorder
follows over time
Seasonal Pattern:
o Seasonal Affective Disorder:
People become depressed every fall or winter and mood alleviates
every spring
Must have had this pattern for 2 years
Can only meet criteria for this specifier if your mood is changing
with the seasons
More common among high latitudes and younger people
Generally in winter months
Hypersomnia
Increased appetite
Weight gain
Craving for carbohydrates
o Linked to season-related change in the dark-light cycle
Postpartum Onset:
o Denotes a major depressive or manic episode beginning within weeks after
childbirth
o The available evidence suggests that it is not caused primarily by
hormones
4
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