Question 1

A friend states he is mildly depressed but he's not sure,and he asks if there is any kind of laboratory test that could determine whether or not someone is depressed.What would you tell him?

Accepted Answer

Currently, there is no laboratory test available to diagnose depression. Diagnosis is primarily based on symptoms reported by the patient and observations made by a mental health professional.

Question 2

The best evidence that genes have something to do with mood disorders comes from twin studies.The concordance rates of identical twins are compared with those of fraternal twins.What have studies shown the concordance rates in mood disorders are associated with?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The best evidence that genes have something...

Question 3

One symptom of depression is an increase in sleeping.What other symptoms related to sleep occur in depression?

Accepted Answer

Depression is often associated with decreased delta (slow wave) sleep, which is the deepest stage of sleep.

Question 4

It can be difficult to diagnose depression in older adults because the presentation of mood disorders is often complicated by another variable.What is that variable?

Accepted Answer

The presence of medical illnesses or symptoms of dementia can complicate the presentation of mood disorders in older adults, making it difficult to diagnose depression. Symptoms of medical illnesses or dementia can overlap with symptoms of depression, making it hard to distinguish between them. Additionally, physical limitations, chronic pain, and medication side effects can also contribute to depressive symptoms in older adults, further complicating the diagnostic process. Substance abuse (A) and family members who are unwilling to admit psychological problems (D) may also be contributing factors, but they are not typically the primary factor that makes it difficult to diagnose depression in older adults. Symptoms of menopause (B) may contribute to mood changes in women, but they are not typically a major complicating factor in diagnosing depression in older adults overall.

Question 5

Wendy usually says,"It's all my fault," when anything goes wrong.Which dimension of the depressive attributional style is she reflecting?

Accepted Answer

Wendy's tendency to blame herself points to an internal attributional style, which is a key component of depression.

Question 6

At what age is the gender difference in the prevalence of depression the greatest?

Accepted Answer

The gender difference in the prevalence of depression is greatest during adolescence. Research has shown that rates of depression among girls increase significantly during puberty compared to boys. This may be due to a combination of biological and social factors, including changes in hormones, body image concerns, and interpersonal stressors.

Question 7

Which disorder puts adolescents at a higher risk for aggression,sexual promiscuity,and accidental injury?

Accepted Answer

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is characterized by episodes of mania or hypomania alternating with episodes of depression. During manic episodes, adolescents may engage in impulsive and reckless behavior, including aggression, sexual promiscuity, and taking risks that can lead to accidental injury. Adolescents with bipolar disorder are also at increased risk for substance abuse and suicide.

Question 8

Jeremy has just been diagnosed with rapid-cycling manic-depressive episodes.How many manic episodes must Jeremy have had in the past year??

Accepted Answer

Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder is defined as having four or more episodes of mood disturbance (either manic or depressive) within a 12-month period. Therefore, Jeremy must have had at least four manic episodes in the past year to meet this diagnosis.

Question 9

Which of the following individuals is showing signs of cyclothymic disorder?

Accepted Answer

Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by chronic fluctuating mood disturbances involving numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms that do not meet the full criteria for a hypomanic episode or a major depressive episode. Ben's symptoms align with this description.

Question 10

What do we call the phenomenon where individuals who are biologically vulnerable to depression have a tendency to place themselves in high-risk,stressful environments?

Accepted Answer

The reciprocal gene-environment model suggests that individuals with a genetic predisposition for a disorder may also have a tendency to create environments that increase the risk of developing that disorder.

Question 11

Patient X has rapid cycling bipolar I disorder.Patient X is MOST likely:

Accepted Answer

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is more frequently diagnosed in women than in men, making choice D the most likely answer. Age and gender are variables to consider when diagnosing a patient with bipolar disorder, but it is not necessarily linked to adolescence or elderly patients.

Question 12

According to Martin Seligman,people become anxious and depressed because they believe that they have no control over the stress in their lives.Which model of depression is this?

Accepted Answer

This is the learned helplessness theory, which posits that individuals become anxious and depressed because they believe they have no control over the stress in their lives. This theory was developed by Seligman himself.

Question 13

In 1989,Abramson and his colleagues revised Seligman's theory of learned helplessness,which had focused on specific attributions as the crucial factor in depression.What did Abramson and his colleagues change the focus to?

Accepted Answer

Abramson and his colleagues shifted the focus of Seligman's theory of learned helplessness to a sense of hopelessness, emphasizing how this feeling contributes to depression.

Question 14

Jason had cyclothymia and was not treated for it.He now has been diagnosed with another,more serious disorder.What disorder is that most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder, and individuals with cyclothymia are at an increased risk for developing bipolar I or II disorder. Major depression (B) and borderline personality disorder (D) are also mood disorders, but they are not necessarily more likely to occur in individuals with untreated cyclothymia. Antisocial personality disorder (A) is not a mood disorder, and there is no direct link between it and cyclothymia.

Question 15

When is the rapid-cycling specifier added to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

The rapid-cycling specifier is added to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder when the patient has had at least four episodes (either manic, hypomanic, or depressive) within a year. This can make the condition more challenging to manage and may require more aggressive treatment approaches.

Question 16

If a person has symptoms of major depression,anxiety,or panic,what are you more likely to find in their family than in the family of someone without depression,anxiety,or panic?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that these conditions can have a genetic component and tend to run in families. Therefore, it is more likely to find individuals with these conditions in the family of someone who is experiencing them. Option A and B exclude anxiety or panic respectively, which is not accurate as these conditions can coexist with major depression. Option D excludes depression which also can coexist with anxiety or panic in the family.

Question 17

Current research into neurotransmitter systems has produced the "permissive hypothesis." What does this hypothesis state?

Accepted Answer

The permissive hypothesis states that when serotonin levels are low, other neurotransmitter systems become dysregulated and contribute to mood irregularities. This suggests that there is an interaction between different neurotransmitter systems in the brain and that a balance of neurotransmitters is important for maintaining a stable mood.

Question 18

Prevalence rates for mood disorders in Canadian studies vary widely,from 4.1 percent in the Ontario Health Survey to 10.3 percent and 11 percent in surveys in Toronto and Calgary,respectively.What is epidemiologist psychiatrist Roger Bland's explanation regarding these varying rates?

Accepted Answer

The varying prevalence rates for mood disorders in Canadian studies can be attributed to different research methods used in each study.

Question 19

There is some evidence to suggest that many famous creative people have suffered from bipolar disorders.What has this finding led Richards and colleagues (1988)to speculate?

Accepted Answer

Richards and colleagues (1988) speculated that the genetic vulnerability to mood disorders is associated with a predisposition to creativity, based on the evidence that many famous creative people have suffered from bipolar disorders. However, this does not mean that mania is at the heart of all creativity or that the same gene causes bipolar disorder and creativity. It also does not necessarily imply that creative endeavours directly lead to the development of mood disorders, although they may contribute to stress and other factors that could increase the risk of mood disorders.

Question 20

Mack almost always draws conclusions that emphasize the negative rather than the positive.What is Mack exemplifying?

Accepted Answer

Mack is exemplifying arbitrary inference, which is the tendency to draw negative conclusions without evidence to support them.

Quiz 7: Mood Disorders and Suicide