Mood Disorders: An Overview

Question 1

A group of disorders involving severe and enduring disturbances in emotionality, ranging from elation to severe depression

Answer 1

Mood disorders

Question 2

Disorder in which the mood remains at 1 pole of the usual depression-mania continuum

Answer 2

Unipolar mood disorder

Question 3

Most common and severe experience of depression, including feelings of worthlessness, disturbances in bodily activities, and inability to experience pleasure, persisting at least 2 weeks

Answer 3

Major depressive episode

Question 4

How long should symptoms last for a major depressive episode?

Answer 4

At least 2 weeks

Question 5

How many symptoms are required to meet the criteria for a major depressive episode?

Answer 5

At leats 5 symptoms, one of which should be either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure

Question 6

Loss of energy and inability to engage in pleasurable activities or have any fun

Answer 6

Anhedonia

Question 7

A symptom commonly observed in depression in which the person moves their limbs and body slowly

Answer 7

Psychomotor retardation

Question 8

A symptom commonly observed in depression in which the individual is restless, pacing and unable to sit still

Answer 8

Psychomotor agitation

Question 9

State characterized by abnormally excessive elation or euphoria

Answer 9

Mania

Question 10

A less severe and less disruptive version of a manic episode that does not cause marked impairment in functioning and need only last 4 days

Answer 10

Hypomania

Question 11

How long should symptoms last in a manic episode?

Answer 11

At least 1 week

Question 12

How many symptoms are required to meet the criteria for a manic episode?

Answer 12

At least 3 symptoms (4 if mood is only irritable)

Question 13

True or False: Manic episodes induced by antidepressants can warrant a bipolar I diagnosis.

Answer 13

True

A full manic episode that emerges during antidepressant treatment but persists at a fully syndromal level beyond the physiological effect of that treatment is evidence of a manic episode and, therefore, a bipolar I diagnosis.

Question 14

How long should a hypomanic episode last?

Answer 14

At least 4 days

Question 15

How many symptoms are required to meet the criteria for a hypomanic episode?

Answer 15

At least 3 symptoms (4 if mood is only irritable)

Question 16

A symptom of mania that involves a rapid shift in conversation from one subject to another with only superficial associative connections

Answer 16

Flight of ideas

Question 17

A gene implicated in mood disorders that influences dopamine function

Answer 17

DRD4.2 gene

Question 18

What substances in the body show dysfunction in mood disorders?

Answer 18

1. Low serotonin
2. High G-protein levels in mania and low levels in depression
3. Elevated cortisol

Question 19

Etiological model of mood disorders positing that, when serotonin levels are low, other neurotransmitters are permitted to range more widely, become dysregulated, and contribute to mood irregularities

Answer 19

Permissive hypothesis

Question 20

Which mood disorder has a higher genetic contribution?

Answer 20

Bipolar disorder

Question 21

Serious thoughts about committing suicide

Answer 21

Suicidal ideation

Question 22

The formulation of a specific method of killing oneself

Answer 22

Suicidal plans

Question 23

Efforts made to kill oneself

Answer 23

Suicide attempt

Question 24

The intentional taking of one’s life

Answer 24

Suicide

Question 25

Behaviors that are meant to cause immediate bodily harm but are not intended to cause death

Answer 25

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)

Question 26

Postmortem psychological profile of a suicide victim constructed from interviews with people who knew the person before death

Answer 26

Psychological autopsy

Question 27

A socially sanctioned suicide committed by people who believe that taking their own lives will benefit society

Answer 27

Altruistic suicide

Question 28

Suicide provoked by the loss of social supports

Answer 28

Egoistic suicide

Question 29

Suicide committed by people who experience a severe disorientation and role confusion because of a large change in their relationship to society

Answer 29

Anomic suicide

Question 30

Suicide resulting from a loss of control over one's own destiny

Answer 30

Fatalistic suicide

Question 31

Among depressed patients, what is the strongest predictor of suicidal behavior?

Answer 31

Family history of suicide

Question 32

Phenomenon when at least 2 suicides or attempted suicides nonrandomly occur closely together in space or time

Answer 32

Suicide cluster

Question 33

Phenomenon in which the suicide of a well-known person is linked to the acceptance of suicide by people who closely identify with that person

Answer 33

Suicide contagion

Question 34

Etiological model of suicide suggesting that hopeless feelings about being a burden on others and about never belonging with others are especially linked to suicide

Answer 34

Interpersonal theory of suicide

Question 35

Community-based program that aims to reduce the risk of an imminent suicide attempt by providing suicidal persons someone to talk with who understands their feelings and problems

Answer 35

Crisis intervention program

Question 36

What medication is most consistently chosen to reduce the risk of suicide?

Answer 36

Lithium

Question 37

An institution staffed primarily by paraprofessionals who are trained to be empathetic and to encourage suicidal callers to consider nondestructive ways of dealing with what is bothering them

Answer 37

Suicide prevention center