Lecture 9 - Mood Disorders

Question 1

What are mood disorders?

Answer 1

Pathological change of mood state - depression or mania.

Question 2

What is mania/hypomania?

Answer 2

Elevated/irritable mood, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, more talkative, racing thoughts, distractible, increased involvement in pleasurable activities.
Common to assume mania is the opposite of depression but the mechanisms are the same.

Question 3

Describe acute treatment for mood disorders.

Answer 3

Antidepressants are a first line of treatment for moderate and severe MDD in adults or depression of any severity that has persisted for more than 2 years.
Someone is most likely to respond in the first 4-6 weeks, if no response after 8 weeks change treatment.
40% of people don’t respond to their first treatment - why? dose increase, switching antidepressant or combination treatment considered.

Question 4

Describe psychological treatment for mood disorders.

Answer 4

CBT, interpersonal therapy, supportive psychotherapy.
Address social factors such as unemployment, financial difficulty, alcohol etc.

Question 5

Describe physical treatment for mood disorders.

Answer 5

Electroconvulsive therapy, TMS, vagal nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation.

Question 6

Describe bipolar disorder.

Answer 6

Mood disorder typically characterised by mania and depression, often with psychotic symptoms.
Episodes classically occur one after the other separated by intervals of remission.