Module 67

Bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. (Formerly called manic-depressive disorder.) If depression is living in slow motion, mania is fast forward. Alternating between depression and mania (week to week, and not day to day or moment to moment) signals bipolar disorder.

Major Depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with five or more symptoms, at least one of which must be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

Mania

a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state. some people rebound to, or sometimes start with, the opposite emotional extreme—the euphoric, hyperactive, wildly optimistic state of mania

Rumination

compulsive fretting; overthinking about our problems and their causes. This may help explain why, beginning in their early teens, women are nearly twice as vulnerable to depression. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (2003) believed women's higher risk of depression relates to what she described as their tendency to overthink, to ruminate. Rumination—staying focused on a problem (thanks to the continuous firing of a frontal lobe area that sustains attention)—can be adaptive

Mood disorders

psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes. See major depressive disorder, mania, and bipolar disorder. The emotional extremes of mood disorders come in two principal forms: (1) major depressive disorder, with its prolonged hopelessness and lethargy, and (2) bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive disorder), in which a person alternates between depression and mania, an overexcited, hyperactive state.

brain and mental illness info

Bipolar disorder likewise correlates with brain structure. Neuroscientists have found structural differences, such as decreased axonal white matter or enlarged fluid-filled ventricles, in the brains of people with bipolar disorder Norepinephrine, which increases arousal and boosts mood, is scarce during depression and overabundant during mania. Drugs that relieve depression tend to increase norepinephrine or serotonin supplies by blocking either their reuptake (as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil do with serotonin) or their chemical breakdown. Repetitive physical exercise, such as jogging, reduces depression as it increases serotonin. Boosting serotonin may promote recovery from depression

In thousands of studies, psychologists have been accumulating evidence to help explain mood disorders and suggest more effective ways to treat and prevent them. Researcher Peter Lewinsohn and his colleagues (1985, 1998, 2003) summarized the facts that any theory of depression must explain, including the following:

Many behavioral and cognitive changes accompany depression. People trapped in a depressed mood are inactive and feel unmotivated. They are sensitive to negative happenings. They more often recall negative information. They expect negative outcomes. When the mood lifts, these behavioral and cognitive accompaniments disappear. Depression is widespread. Its commonality suggests that its causes, too, must be common. Women's risk of major depression is nearly double men's. Most major depressive episodes self-terminate. Although therapy often helps and tends to speed recovery, most people suffering major depression eventually return to normal even without professional help. Stressful events related to work, marriage, and close relationships often precede depression. With each new generation, depression is striking earlier (now often in the late teens) and affecting more people, with the highest rates in developed countries among young adults.

Adults diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia) experience a mildly depressed mood more often than not for at least two years (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). They also display at least two of the following symptoms:

Problems regulating appetite Problems regulating sleep Low energy Low self-esteem Difficulty concentrating and making decisions Feelings of hopelessness

Module review

What are mood disorders? How does major depressive disorder differ from bipolar disorder? Mood disorders are characterized by emotional extremes. A person with major depressive disorder experiences two or more weeks of seriously depressed moods and feelings of worthlessness, and takes little interest in, and derives little pleasure from, most activities. A person with the less common condition of bipolar disorder experiences not only depression but also mania—episodes of hyperactive and wildly optimistic, impulsive behavior. 67-2 How do the biological and social-cognitive perspectives explain mood disorders? The biological perspective on depression focuses on genetic predispositions and on abnormalities in brain structures and function (including those found in neurotransmitter systems). The social-cognitive perspective views depression as an ongoing cycle of stressful experiences (interpreted through negative beliefs, attributions, and memories) leading to negative moods and actions and fueling new stressful experiences. 67-3 What factors affect suicide and self-injury, and what are some of the important warning signs to watch for in suicide-prevention efforts? Suicide rates differ by nation, race, gender, age group, income, religious involvement, marital status, and (for gay and lesbian youth) social support structure. Those with depression are more at risk for suicide than others are, but social suggestion, health status, and economic and social frustration are also contributing factors. Environmental barriers (such as jump barriers) are effective in preventing suicides. Forewarnings of suicide may include verbal hints, giving away possessions, withdrawal, preoccupation with death, and discussing one's own suicide. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) does not usually lead to suicide but may escalate to suicidal thoughts and acts if untreated. People who engage in NSSI do not tolerate stress well and tend to be self-critical, with poor communication and problem-solving skills.