Abnormal Psychology Ch. 8: Mood Disorders

Cause of Unipolar Depression: Psychoanalytic View

From a psychoanalytic perspective, depression is associated with anger directed inward (people who are depressed punish themselves). Research supports theory that early losses set the stage for later depression.

Bipolar I Disorder

Full manic and major depressive episodes, where most sufferers experience an alternation of episodes.

Depressive Explanatory Style

The tendency of depressed people to attribute negative events to factors that are internal (something about the person), stable (something that cannot be changed or fixed), and global (something that affects everything in life).

Endogenous Depression

Depression brought on by negative introspection.

Criteria for Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

1) Have 3 or more symptoms of mania lasting one week or more. 2) Have a history of mania

Criteria for Diagnosing Unipolar Depression

1) Major depressive episode-marked by 5 or more symptoms lasting two or more weeks. 2) No history of mania.

Definition of Depression

A mood disorder characterized by sadness, despair, feelings of worthlessness, and low self-esteem.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder: Neurotransmitters

Bipolar disorders may be related to the overactivity of norepinephrine and low levels of serotonin activity.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder: Brain Structure

Brain imaging and postmortem studies have shown a number of abnormal brain structures in people with bipolar disorder; in particular, the basal ganglia and cerebellum tend to be smaller.

Exogenous Depression

Depression brought on because of bad events in their life (eg. divorce, death, etc.).

Symptoms of Mania

Emotional Symptoms: Active and powerful emotions in search of outlet. Motivational Symptoms: Need for constant excitement, involvement, companionship. Behavioral Symptoms: Very active-Move quickly, talk loudly and rapidly Cognitive Symptoms: Show poor judgement/planning Physical Symptoms: High energy level, usually little or no rest

Symptoms of Depression

Emotional symptoms: feeling miserable, empty, humiliated; experiencing little pleasure. Motivational symptoms: lacking drive, initiative, spontaneity. Behavioral symptoms: less active and productive. Cognitive symptoms: hold negative view of self, blame themselves for unfortunate events, pessimism. Physical symptoms: headaches, dizzy spells, general pain.

Cause of Unipolar Depression: Biological View

Genetic Factors: Family pedigree studies suggest that some people inherit a biological predisposition. Biochemical Factors: Serotonin and norepinephrine levels too low (antidepressants contain higher doses of either serotonin or norepinephrine).

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomanic episodes (less intense and shorter duration) and major depressive episodes.

Cyclothymic Disorder

If a person experiences numerous episodes of hypomania and mild depressive symptoms (mild symptoms for two or more years, interrupted by periods of normal mood).

Causes of Bipolar Disorder: Ion Activity

Ions (Na and K), which are needed to send incoming messages to nerve endings, may be improperly transported through the cells of people with bipolar disorder. This may cause neurons to fire too easily (mania) or to resist firing (depression).

Causes of Unipolar Depression: Cognitive View

Learned Helplessness: Occurs when an organism has an aversive experience in which nothing it does can effect what happens to it, so it simply gives up and stops trying. (Seligman's work with laboratory dogs and rats with lower levels of serotonin and norepinephrine) Negative Thinking: 1) Maladaptive attitudes 2) Cognitive triad (repeatedly interpreting their experiences in negative ways) 3) Errors in thinking (arbitrary inferences; minimizing the positive, magnifying the negative) 4) "Automatic thoughts" (train of unpleasant thoughts)

Permissive Theory about Mood Disorders

Low serotonin levels may 'open the door' to a mood disorder and allow the norepinephrine activity to define the particular form of the disorder: Low Serotonin + Low Norepinephrine = Depression; Low Serotonin + High Norepinephrine = Mania.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder: Genetic Factors

Many experts believe that people inherit a biological predisposition to develop bipolar disorders. Genetic linkage studies have examined the possibility of 'faulty' genes. Such wide-ranging findings suggest that a number of genetic abnormalities probably combine to help bring out bipolar disorder.

Cognitive Model of Suicide

People who attempt suicide have high levels of hopelessness, and they want to 'escape from themselves'.

Bipolar Disorder

People with a bipolar disorder experience both the lows of depression and the highs of mania.

Definition of Mood Disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by extreme emotions (depression or mania).

Dysthymic Disorder

Symptoms of depression are "mild but chronic"; depression is longer-lasting, but less disabling.

Causes of Unipolar Depression: Sociocultural View

Unipolar Depression is greatly influenced by the social structure in which people live. Things like geographical location, race, gender, etc. all have different contributing factors.

Unipolar Depression

When a person has depression with no history of mania and the mood returns to normal when depression lifts.