Unit 4 - Depression

Question 1

What is depression?

Answer 1

• characterized by such overwhelming sadness and despair that one feels drained of energy

Question 2

What is the biopsychosocial framework based on?

Answer 2

1. Four occurrences in the population
2. Social isolation/loneliness
3. Financial worries
4. Genetic Predisposition

Question 3

What are the four occurrences in the population for the biopsychosocial framework?

Answer 3

• older adults who have had depression in their younger adulthood
• Older adults who become depressed in later life
• People with dementia
• People with medical conditions

Question 4

How might the 3 interacting components of affect be expressed in a depressive disorder? (5)

Answer 4

• low energy
• tired, do not want to do anything
• reduced activity
• less attention
• not attending to reality

Question 5

How is energy expressed in a depressive disorder? (5)

Answer 5

• fatigue
• decreased energy
• sleep disturbance
• psychomotor agitation
• dependence, poor grooming, decreased ability to manage ADLs

Question 6

How are cognitive changes expressed in depressive disorders? (2)

Answer 6

• decreased concentration
• suicidal thoughts or actions

Question 7

How is mood expressed in depressive disorders? (3)

Answer 7

• loss of pleasure in usual activities
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• expressed despair, sadness, or irritable

Question 8

What are the 4 signs of mental health disturbances, or signs of other mental disturbances?

Answer 8

1. Psychotic features (can be seen in depression)
2. Paranoia (depression)
3. Delusion (depression)
4. Hallucination

Question 9

What are the risk factors of psychotic features? (5)

Answer 9

• social isolation
• sensory deficits
• physical illness
• cognitive impairment
• polypharmacy

Question 10

What are psychotic features?

Answer 10

• resistance to doing things
• also an aspect of other MHD

Question 11

What is paranoia? (2)

Answer 11

• intense and strongly defended irrational suspicion
• can indicate a medical emergency

Question 12

What are the risk factors of paranoia? (4)

Answer 12

• similar to psychosis, but includes
• medications
• vision loss
• hearing loss

Question 13

What are delusions? (2)

Answer 13

• a fixed false belief that guides a person’s interpretation of life
• can be a feature of psychosis

Question 14

What are hallucinations? (2)

Answer 14

• hearing or seeing something that is not there (treated if disturbing)
• associated with other MHD, including Parkinson’s and Lewey Body Dementia

Question 15

What are the differences in the signs of depression between the older and younger adult? (4)

Answer 15

• Older adults with memory impairment need to be evaluated for depression
• older more likely to have physical complaints (somatic)
• somatic complaints can be difficult to distinguish from chronic conditions
• more complaints of memory loss*
• not as likely to complain of guilt and worthlessness

Question 16

Is later life depression clearly linked to family history of depression?

Answer 16

no

Question 17

What are the rates of suicide in older adults? (2)

Answer 17

• more lethal in older adults than younger
• rate for white “oldest” men is higher than the general population

Question 18

What type of olde adult populations have depression?

Answer 18

younger adults, ppl diagnosed early life, dementia, etc.