...Major Depressive Disorder Ethan Scott Oral Roberts University Major Depressive Disorder Overview and Symptoms “Depression is related to the normal emotions of sadness and bereavement, but it does not remit when the external cause of these emotions dissipates, and it is disproportionate to their causes” (Belmaker, 2008, p. 55). Severe states of depression often have no external precipitating cause, but it is hard to truly know if there was an external cause or not when dealing with severe depression (Belmaker, 2008). It is also known to occur with other mental health conditions such as anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, etc. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, which equals about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. It is also the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44. While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32 and is more prevalent in women than in men (Numbers Count, 2014). Diagnosis of Major Depression “The diagnosis of major depression requires a distinct change of mood, characterized by sadness or irritability and is accompanied by some psychophysiological changes” (Belmaker, 2008, p. 56). Major depression can be easy to diagnose from anyone with experience dealing with depression, but understanding the cause of the depression, internally or externally, can be a tough challenge (Carey, 2013). Symptoms of major depression...
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...Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Key Features. MDD is an extremely common mood disorder which can affect anyone at any time. To the lay person ‘depression’ is a vague term covering negative affect and mental states such as “feeling down in the dumps.” The DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2010) has a formal definition: A person who suffers from this disorder must have a depressed mood, or have lost interest in things that would have normally brought them pleasure; for a minimum of two weeks. This must be different then the person's normal behaviors and it may not be caused by a general medical condition. A major depressive episode is characterized by a minimum of five of these symptoms for two weeks or more: depressed mood; reduced interest or pleasure in activities; significant weight loss or weight gain; insomnia or hypersomnia; psychomotor agitation or retardation; fatigue or loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness or guilt; diminished ability to think or concentrate; and recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or a suicide attempt. (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). Recurrent major depressive episodes can indicate MDD. Although it can present co-morbidly with any medical condition, depression is an illness in itself. It is not a sign of personal weakness, nor a condition that can be wished or willed away. The causes of major depression are not completely known, but current theories include genetic and environmental factors as well...
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...Major depressive disorder is a psychological disorder that has been on the rise. From 2005 to 2014 the amount of cases of major depressive disorder has gone up from 8.8% to 9.6 percent. Many of the increased statistics is shown in the young adult age group or those from ages 18 to 20. Major depressive disorder is a disorder that can affect anyone however and has affected many people through out history. Many great leaders have suffered major depressive disorder and it is something that makes it hard to live life like a normal human being. Many people ask what is major depressive disorder. It is classified as being in a constant state of sadness for anytime longer than two weeks. Many people who suffer from major depressive disorder lose...
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...Diagnosis: Major depressive disorder (MDD) Treatment: Sequence Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) Justification for Diagnosis: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by the presence of five symptoms of the disorder appearing for a two week period and for there to be a change from previous normal mood. It must also be accompanied by depressed mood or loss of interest in activities. The case study gives insight from Gary saying he has felt sad “all the time” since the past month and this is supported by his son, whom states Cary has “not been himself” in recent months. These signs are indicative of a change in Gary’s regular demeanour as described by his son and also the symptom of MDD that includes experiencing depressed mood for nearly every day for more than a two week period...
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...Abstract Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common and serious mental disorders (Kessler et al., 2005) and can cause great dysfunctionality in the daily lives of its sufferers, including co-morbidity and suicidality. It is important to establish the best treatment offers for depressed individuals in order to give them the best chance at recovery. Many studies have looked at the effects of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and combination therapy to determine which is best for treating depression. Presented in this paper are two studies who researched the differences. Results were similar to previous studies in that each treatment is equally effective at improving depression in individuals (Iftene, Predescu, Stefan, & David, 2015;...
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...Major Depressive Disorder can affect a person’s health, relationships, work life, and school life. (NIMH). “Farwell my sweet lady, dearest Elizabeth, my beloved and only friend” (Shelley 65). Justen is put to death for the murder of William Frankenstein. They believed she was the one to kill William because she had a locket with the picture of the family that William had on the night of the murder. Major Depressive Disorder can give you the feeling of guilt (NIMH). “Justen is put to death due to Victors creation” (Shelley 75). Victor feels guilty for not confessing up and telling everyone that his creation killed his brother. People with Major Depressive Disorder also feel the complete hopelessness that doesn’t end (NIMH). Everyone begins to die in Victor's life begins to die such as his mother when he was young, then his little brother William, Justine put to death, and finally his wife murdered by Frankenstein’s on the night of their...
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... making it more difficult to live a normal, productive life. I will outline the differences between unipolar and bipolar disorders. In addition, I will address the underlying causes of unipolar and bipolar disorders, I will indicate the symptoms that an individual with unipolar or bipolar may be suffering from, and provide the treatments that are available for individuals who suffer from unipolar or bipolar disorders. Bipolar Disorder is a disease thought to be caused by changes in the chemistry of the brain. The symptoms and severity of the condition can vary, but with the proper treatment, Bipolar Disorder symptoms can be managed. Amongst the more than five million adults in America who have Bipolar Disorder, these “mood swings” can be extreme or frequent. These changes in mood aren’t as simple as transitioning from “happy” to “sad.” With Bipolar Disorder, symptoms can include both a lowering of mood (depression) and an exaggerated elevation of mood (mania). These changes occur in cycles and are referred to as “episodes.” People with Bipolar Disorder experience extreme mood swings that can take three different forms: manic, depressive, and mixed episodes. On average, people with Bipolar Disorder spend ten years seeking treatment before finally getting diagnosed. One survey found that as many as 70% of people with Bipolar Disorder are initially diagnosed with a different condition. Often, this is because...
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...Bipolar Disorder: Research, Controversy and Treatment Abstract Bipolar disorders are mood disorders that include one or more manic or hypomanic episodes and usually one or more depressive episode. Although the exact explanation of the onset of this disorder is not known, there are several different theories the may apply. A considerable amount of research is now being conducted to identify causes for the mood disorders. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder has led to many controversies as to whether the disorder is misdiagnosed, overdiagnosed, or underdiagnosed. There are also many different treatment methods streaming from medications such as SSRI’s to electro-convulsive shock therapy (ECT). Bipolar Disorder: Research, Controversy and Treatment Bipolar disorder has been a mystery since the sixteenth century and can appear in almost anyone. Bipolar disorders are mood disorders that include one or more manic or hypomanic episodes and usually one or more depressive episode (Varcarolis). Between the elevated and depressed mood episodes, the person may experience long periods of a normal stable mood. There are many different symptoms of bipolar disorder and each person may or may not act the same way, therefore, bipolar disorder has been broken down into different subcategories of bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Although the exact explanation of the onset of this disorder is not known, there are several different...
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...substances mentioned in the DSM section on Substance-Related Disorders and explain co-occurring psychological and medical disorders in relationship to at least one substance-related disorder. (A.6;K.3) • Alcohol • Caffeine • Cannabis • Hallucinogen • Inhalant • Opioid • Sedative • Hypnotic or Anxiolytic • Stimulant • Tobacco If an individual uses opioids their routine urine toxicology test results are often positive for the drug. The results remain positive for most opioids for 12-36hours after the drug test. The most common medical disorder that is associated with opioid use are viral and bacterial infections such as: HIV, hepatitis C virus). Individuals with opioid disorder are at risk for the development of mild to moderate depression or major depressive disorder. Insomnia is common with this disorder and anti-social personality disorder is much more common in individuals with opioid use disorder. 2. If you were part of a team responding to a trauma-causing event how would you utilize your knowledge of the DSM? (A.9) I would think of each and every trauma disorder and use the diagnostic criteria to see if that is what caused the individual to have that traumatizing event. A traumatic event can be re-experienced in various ways. In some cases the individual will have recurrent, involuntary and intrusive memories of that particular traumatic event. Intrusive recollections in PTSD are distinguished from depressive rumination in that they apply only to involuntary and...
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...As many as 19 million Americans million are affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives. According to Dinsmoor, R. S. &ump; Odle, T. G. (2009), bipolar depression refers to a condition in which people experience two extremes in mood. The bipolar spectrum includes; bipolar I, bipolar 2, bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and cyclothymia and all are related to disturbances in mood but differ in severity of symptoms. They are differentiated by the...
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...Depression Shauna Carton Psy 270 October 23, 2011 Kavita Leone Depression Mood disorders are a category of mental health problems including depression and bipolar disorder (The Ohio State University Medical Center, 2011). According to The Ohio State University Medical Center (2011), “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that research indicates that depression onset is occurring earlier in life today than in past decades.” Depression is described as a low, sad state in which life is a dark, challenging, overwhelming place to be. There will be many people that will go through a depressive stage some point in their life and be able to move past it. However, there are people that are unable to move past this part in their life and will have depression for most of their life and can be diagnosed as having unipolar depression. Others can suffer from mania. Mania is the complete opposite of depression where a person has extreme excitement and euphoria about life. Then there is a small group of people that suffer from mania and depression known as bipolar disorder. Unipolar Disorder Between 5 and 10 percent of adults in the United States will suffer from severe unipolar depression. Women are twice as likely to experience severe depression then men (Comer, 2005). Depression not only affects a person emotionally, but can affect a person behaviorally, cognitively, physically, and motivationally. Many people will...
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...reviews concepts of depression, including history and classification. The original broad concept of melancholia included all forms of quiet insanity. The term depression began to appear in the nineteenth century, as did the modern concept of affective disorders, with the core disturbance now viewed as one of mood. The 1980s saw the introduction of defined criteria into official diagnostic schemes. The modern separation into unipolar and bipolar disorder was introduced following empirical research by Angst and Perris in the 1960s. The partially overlapping distinctions between psychotic and neurotic depression, and between endogenous and reactive depression, started to generate debate in the 1920s, with considerable multivariate research in the 1960s. The symptom element in endogenous depression currently survives in melancholia or somatic syndrome. Life stress is common in various depressive pictures. Dysthymia, a valuable diagnosis, represents a form of what was regarded earlier as neurotic depression. Other subtypes are also discussed. © 2008, LLS SAS rior to the late 19th century, although detailed systems of classification abounded, the main problem for psychiatric nosology was the establishment of the broad major disorders. Melancholia was recognized as early as the time of Hippocrates, and continued through Galenic medicine and medieval times. The earlier connotation of the term was very wide, and included all forms of quiet insanity. It was linked with the humoral theory...
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...Major Depressive Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Argosy University Abnormal Psychology Brandy Rhodes 12/08/11 Abstract: Major depression disorder is a wide and complex disorder than many Americans suffer from. This paper will review the research and material of major depression disorder and the effective treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy. Although there are several types of therapy available to treat depression and other mood disorders, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) has been one of the most widely used and thought to be very effective in treating the disorder. First the paper will review what the disorder is and the criteria needed to diagnosis one with major depressive disorder and then we will take a look at how CBT helps the client overcome the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Lastly the paper will follow up with why CBT is thought to effective with treating major depressive disorder. Major Depressive Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Many clients’ that are seen in today’s clinics suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD) which is one of the most common disorders. “Major depressive disorder has a life time prevalence of 15.8 % (Mor and Haran, 2009). Many times MDD is characterized by early onset with development occurring throughout the life span. MDD is a disorder characterized by extreme depressed mood that lasts at least 2 weeks and includes cognitive symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and indecisiveness;...
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...Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks. Some forms of depression are slightly different, or they may develop under unique circumstances, such as: Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia) is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder....
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...1. Unipolar Depressive Disorders Major Depression * Symptoms * Emotional Symptoms * Feelings of guilt or sadness, depressed mood * Anhedonia * Cognitive symptoms * Negative thoughts about the world, and self, self-blame * Inability to engage in pleasure * (Learned Helplessness –Martin Seligman – ‘People become anxious and depressed when they decide that they have no control over the stress in their lives’. * Suicide/Suicidal thoughts * Lack of interest in things you used to be interested in * Physical Symptoms * Change in sleep pattern * Change in eating habits * *Physical symptoms are hallmark signs of MDD rather than someone who is just situationally depressed* * Episodic disorder * Between episodes, can be asymptomatic * Specifiers * Seasonal Affective Disorder: “temporal specifier” * Depression has a seasonal pattern * Atypical Symptoms * With Psychotic Features (Slide #15 in mood disorders) * Depression and anxiety are highly comorbid Dysthymia * Similar to major depression, but may have fewer or less severe symptoms * Chronic, sometimes lasts 20-30 years * Must continue for two years, but can’t be asymptomatic for more than 2 months * Higher rates of comorbidity * Less responsive to treatment Double Depression * Major depressive episodes during dysthymia * Greater sense of helplessness ...
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