Deck 5: Mood Disorders and Suicide

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a somatic symptom of depression?

A) suicidal thoughts
B) sleeping problems
C) feelings of low self-worth
D) pessimistic thoughts about the future

Answer 1

sleeping problems

Question 2

As was the case of Debbie in the textbook, it is often the case that symptoms of mania are initially

A) very frightening.
B) quite pleasant.
C) triggered by some specific life stress.
D) indistinguishable from depression.

Answer 2

quite pleasant.

Question 3

Which of the following is the most typical course of unipolar mood disorder?

A) a single episode of mania
B) repeated episodes of major depression
C) a single episode of major depression
D) cycling episodes of depression and mania

Answer 3

repeated episodes of major depression

Question 4

Depressed patients often walk and talk as though they are in slow motion; this quality is described by the term

A) hypomania.
B) psychomotor retardation.
C) dysphoria.
D) morbid preoccupation.

Question 5

Which of the following is the term that psychologists use for a pervasive and sustained emotional response that can color the person's perception of the world?

A) affect
B) mania
C) depression
D) mood

Question 6

Harold has just been diagnosed as suffering from major depressive disorder. In planning his treatment, the mental health professionals will discover that he has a comorbid condition. Which of the following is the most likely comorbid condition?

A) alcoholism
B) hypochondriasis
C) paranoid schizophrenia
D) histrionic personality disorder

Question 7

The case of Cathy presented in your text is an example of major depressive disorder. One of the aspects of her case that clearly tells us this is more than just normal sadness is that Cathy

A) had become impaired in her ability to work.
B) did not have any manic or hypomanic symptoms.
C) had been separated from her husband for five years.
D) felt unworthy of her latest promotion at work.

Question 8

Which of the following describes the term affect?

A) a state of arousal
B) subjective feelings
C) observable behaviors associated with subjective feelings
D) physiological changes associated with subjective feelings

Question 9

Which of the following is a clinical feature of mania?

A) elated mood
B) criminality
C) dissociation
D) blunted affect

Question 10

What is dysphoric mood?

A) elated mood
B) labile mood
C) depressed mood
D) inappropriate mood

Question 11

You were asked to give a talk to illustrate the problems caused by depression for youth as compared to their parents' generation. Which of the following could be an accurate way to start your talk?

A) The younger generation is experiencing rates of depression higher than previous generations.
B) The younger generation is experiencing rates of depression lower than previous generations.
C) The younger generation is experiencing depression at a later age than previous generations.
D) None of the above are correct.

Question 12

People who are clinically depressed frequently note that their thinking is __________ while manic patients commonly report that their thoughts are __________.

A) realistic; unrealistic
B) easily distracted; very focused
C) slowed down; speeded up
D) focused on the past; focused on the future

Question 13

One of your patients has been diagnosed with unipolar depression and alcohol addiction. Which of the following do you need consider in this light?

A) For some people alcoholism develops first, for others it is the depression that comes first.
B) Neither disorder tends to run in families.
C) Alcohol is actually good for some schizophrenic patients as it dampens their hallucinations.
D) Marijuana use is also correlated with alcoholism.

Question 14

Mary has had two episodes of major depression with no other periods of psychological disturbance. What is the appropriate description of her symptoms?

A) dysthymia
B) double depression
C) bipolar mood disorder
D) unipolar mood disorder

Question 15

All of the following are important considerations in distinguishing clinical depression from normal sadness EXCEPT

A) In clinical depression the mood change may occur in the absence of any precipitating event.
B) A clinically depressed mood is often accompanied by an inability to function in usual social situations.
C) A clinical mood change may feel different or "strange" to the person.
D) A clinical mood change is generally all pervasive, and is usually the only symptom or sign to occur.

Question 16

Which of these is a characteristic of clinical depression that helps to distinguish it from normal sadness?

A) altered brain chemistry
B) caused by an identifiable precipitant
C) occurs only in people who suffered early losses
D) accompanied by a cluster of signs and symptoms, including cognitive features

Question 17

Euphoria is characterized by

A) elated mood.
B) labile affect.
C) depressed mood.
D) inappropriate affect.

Question 18

Betty believes she is less capable than her coworkers, even though she has won many awards for her performance. She often feels lonely and believes no one wants to be her friend. Her future seems empty and meaningless. These traits characterize

A) cyclothymia.
B) psychotic depression.
C) the "depressive triad."
D) somatic deficits in depression.

Question 19

Robert has just experienced an episode of mania. Which diagnostic label best describes his condition?

A) dysthymia
B) bipolar mood disorder
C) unipolar mood disorder
D) dysphoric mood disorder

Question 20

In the DSM-IV-TR classification of mood disorders, an emphasis is placed on the distinction between

A) unipolar and bipolar disorders.
B) disorders with and without psychotic features.
C) conditions precipitated by an identifiable stressor and conditions without identifiable stressor.
D) disorders with somatic symptoms and disorders without somatic symptoms.

Question 21

Which of the following individuals exhibits symptoms that suggest the presence of melancholia?

A) weight gain, dysphoria, and hallucinations
B) anxiety, excessive guilt, and depression worse in the evening
C) difficulty getting to sleep, psychomotor agitation, and significant weight gain
D) absence of any feelings of pleasure, early morning awakening, and marked psychomotor retardation

Question 22

Which of the following patients' depression most clearly exhibits psychotic features?

A) Ann, who wakes up early in the morning and cannot get back to sleep
B) Kathy, who finds that food is unappealing and so she has been eating less
C) Pete, who believes his digestive tract is dust and hears voices telling him he is evil
D) Ted, who comes from a family with several depressed close relatives who committed suicide

Question 23

Despite differences among epidemiological surveys in samples, methods, and definitions of mental disorders, what is one common finding concerning mood disorders?

A) Bipolar disorder occurs in fewer people than major depressive disorder.
B) Dysthymic disorder is the most common form of mood disorder.
C) Mood disorders are the most common form of mental disorders.
D) Bipolar and unipolar disorders are equally common in the general population.

Question 24

What is the most typical seasonal pattern in mood disorders?

A) mania in summer, recovery in winter
B) mania in winter, recovery in spring
C) depression in winter, recovery in spring
D) depression in summer, recovery in winter

Question 25

Other than the presence of manic episodes in bipolar mood disorder, what is the main distinguishing factor between unipolar and bipolar mood disorders?

A) later onset and more episodes in bipolar mood disorder
B) later onset and fewer episodes in bipolar mood disorder
C) earlier onset and more episodes in bipolar mood disorder
D) earlier onset and fewer episodes in bipolar mood disorder

Question 26

A chronic but less severe form of bipolar disorder is

A) dysthymia.
B) dysphoria.
C) cyclothymia.
D) unipolar disorder.

Question 27

Which of these individuals is at the average age for the onset of unipolar mood disorder?

A) Al, who is 15 years old
B) Sid, who is 21 years old
C) Sally, who is 32 years old
D) Veronica, who is 65 years old

Question 28

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is characterized by

A) many mood shifts per day.
B) a seasonal pattern of symptoms.
C) at least four episodes of mania, hypomania, or major depression within a year.
D) development of a manic episode in less than a week.

Question 29

Henry has a serious episode of depression that is diagnosed as major depressive disorder. A year later he experiences an episode of mania. What is his diagnosis after this event?

A) cyclothymia
B) bipolar I disorder
C) dysthymic disorder
D) cyclical major depressive disorder

Question 30

For the past two weeks Barbara has experienced serious symptoms including weight loss, feelings of worthlessness, insomnia, and difficultly in concentrating. She is also experiencing depressed mood and loss of interest in doing much of anything. What is the DSM-IV-TR term for what Barbara is experiencing?

A) dysthymic disorder
B) bipolar I disorder, mixed episode
C) cyclothymic disorder
D) major depressive episode

Question 31

Andy has just experienced his first episode of major depression; if Andy is average for someone with unipolar depression, how many additional episodes is he likely to experience in his lifetime?

A) none; recurrence is uncommon
B) one or two
C) five or six
D) none unless he also experiences a manic or hypomanic episode

Question 32

Hypomania is an episode involving

A) high energy, but less severe than mania.
B) high energy, but more severe than mania.
C) low energy, but less severe than depression.
D) low energy, but more severe than depression.

Question 33

According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, the approximate percentage of individuals diagnosed with a major mood disorder in the past 12 months who received adequate treatment for that disorder was

A) 10 percent.
B) 20 percent.
C) 40 percent.
D) 60 percent.

Question 34

What is one way that dysthymia differs from major depression?

A) Dysthymia is more severe.
B) Dysthymia usually lasts longer.
C) Dysthymia responds better to medication.
D) Dysthymia usually has a precipitating event.

Question 35

Jane has recently become very depressed, and her doctor is explaining to her that she has a mood disorder with postpartum onset. If her doctor is correct, what do we know about Jane?

A) Her depression will end very soon.
B) She has given birth within the past four weeks.
C) Her depression is linked to an identifiable environmental stressor.
D) She has recently suffered the loss of someone she loves.

Question 36

For several years, Greg has experienced alternating episodes of very severe depression and episodes of hypomania. What is the most appropriate DSM diagnosis?

A) bipolar I disorder without psychotic features
B) bipolar II disorder
C) cyclothymic disorder
D) mixed bipolar disorder

Question 37

For the past two years, Nick has experienced poor appetite, insomnia, fatigue, and several other symptoms. These symptoms have kept him from feeling happy although they do not indicate a major depressive episode. When assessing Nick, what disorder is the psychologist most likely to consider?

A) bipolar I disorder
B) dysthymia
C) cyclothymia
D) seasonal affective disorder

Question 38

Generally your patient of the past two years has exhibited depression. She did, however, have one quite dramatic symptom that rules out a diagnosis of both major depressive disorder and dysthymia. This symptom is

A) alcohol addiction.
B) extreme sadness.
C) mania.
D) comorbidity.

Question 39

Melancholia is a term for

A) dysthymia.
B) neurotic depression.
C) a severe type of depression.
D) normal sadness unrelated to clinical depression.

Question 40

The return of active symptoms in a person who has recovered from a previous episode of a disorder is known as

A) remission.
B) relapse.
C) refraction.
D) rapid cycling.

Question 41

With respect to the link between stress and the onset of manic and depressive episodes, it appears that

A) the types of stress are very similar.
B) the types of stress tend to be different.
C) stress is linked to depressive episodes but not manic ones.
D) stress is linked to manic episodes but not depressive ones.

Question 42

What did George Brown and Tirril Harris find when they followed women over a one-year period to study the link between depression and stressful life events?

A) None of those who experienced a severe life event became depressed.
B) Most of those who experienced a severe life event became depressed.
C) Although life events and depression were related, most people who experienced such events did not become depressed.
D) Although life events and depression were related, the results suggested that depression actually caused the life events.

Question 43

A report in the newspaper describes the common epidemiological finding that the rate of depression is higher among women than among men. How have researchers evaluated the validity of this finding?

A) Men and women differ in their willingness to talk about their depressive symptoms.
B) Mental health professionals are more prone to diagnose depression in women than in men.
C) This gender difference is an artifact that occurs only in samples of patients that seek treatment.
D) This gender difference is a real one that cannot be explained by methodological or sampling differences.

Question 44

You are asked to consult about a patient who may be depressed. What you notice is that the focus of their symptoms is mostly somatic: on headaches, sleep disorder, and lack of energy. You ask if this patient happens to be from the country where these symptoms are more generally seen in depression,

A) the East Coast of the United States.
B) Eastern Europe.
C) Australia.
D) China.

Question 45

The research by Brown and Harris on the cause of depression in women has suggested that types of events that have a greater likelihood of contributing to the cause of depression are

A) an accumulation of many small, daily hassles.
B) severe events that are particularly threatening.
C) family events such as the loss of a parent.
D) none of the above are particularly related to the cause of depression.

Question 46

Robert strikes out during a softball game, causing his team to lose the game. He begins to brood about his failure, and concludes that not only is he a failure in sports, but in all areas of his life. How might we describe Robert's attribution style?

A) stable
B) global
C) external
D) magnified

Question 47

What do cross‑cultural studies of psychopathology suggest concerning depression?

A) DSM categories are culture-free.
B) Chinese psychiatrists often mistake depression for a form of schizophrenia.
C) There are very different rates of mood disorder in Western and non-Western countries.
D) Depression is a universal phenomenon that may be expressed differently depending on cultural factors.

Question 48

What do the results of the epidemiological studies tell us about changes over time in the frequency of depression?

A) Rates of depression appear to be decreasing.
B) Rates of bipolar disorder appear to be increasing.
C) Rates of depression appear to be increasing and with earlier onset.
D) Rates of depression appear to be increasing but with later onset.

Question 49

Mary fails a calculus exam. Although other students who failed the same exam complain that the exam was too hard and the professor has a reputation for tough grading, Mary is convinced that she failed because she is incapable of understanding the material. How might we characterize Mary's attribution style?

A) global
B) stable
C) primary
D) internal

Question 50

A strong correlation exists between stressful life events and the onset of depression, but it is difficult to interpret this relationship because

A) there haven't been enough studies.
B) stress can cause depression, but depression can cause stress.
C) depression is a very subjective state and thus very difficult to measure.
D) people are usually aware of any connection between their depression and stress in their lives.

Question 51

Comparisons of rates of emotional disorder across cultural boundaries encounter many problems. One such problem is that

A) each culture has different words and concepts for describing illness.
B) emotional disorders don't exist in every culture.
C) there is no agreement on which diagnostic criteria to use.
D) it is not ethical to study people from cultures different from our own.

Question 52

According to the hopelessness theory of depression, what are depressed persons likely to do?

A) make external causal attributions
B) make unstable causal attributions
C) believe that their fate is determined at birth
D) believe that aversive events will occur regardless of what they do

Question 53

The rate of depression in women is about what percentage of the rate for men?

A) 10 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 100 percent
D) 200 percent

Question 54

A good example of the type of cognitive distortions that lead to depression, according to the textbook, would include all of the following EXCEPT

A) over generalized conclusions about one's self based on negative experiences.
B) drawing inferences about one's self without any evidence.
C) exaggerating one's estimates of their intellectual ability.
D) exaggerating the importance of negative events over positive.

Question 55

You are given the topic of age and mood disorders for a term paper in abnormal psychology and instructed to write the paper in the format of a newspaper report for the general public. Which of the following titles would be the best choice?

A) "Mania Runs Wild in Older Generations"
B) "Age and Mood Disorders: A Positive Correlation"
C) "High Rates of Depression in the Elderly: Correcting a Myth"
D) "Age Trends in Prevalence of Mood Disorders Obscured by Gender Effects"

Question 56

According to cognitive models of depression, various types of cognitive errors or distortions in thinking are partly responsible for the disorder. Which of the following is NOT one of these cognitive distortions mentioned in the book?

A) assigning global, personal meaning to an experience of failure
B) a tendency to overgeneralize conclusions about the self based on negative experiences
C) a tendency to turn anger at others toward the self
D) a tendency to recall selectively events with negative consequences

Question 57

Research shows that depression is often preceded by stressful life events, although not all such events lead to depression. What characteristics of a stressful life did George Brown and Tirril Harris identify as more likely to lead to depression?

A) devaluation and loss
B) preexisting and dangerous
C) biological and unpredictable
D) feeling trapped and devaluation

Question 58

What is a schema?

A) a role played in a relationship
B) an example of a cognitive distortion
C) a point of contention in a relationship
D) an organized cognitive representation of prior experience

Question 59

A researcher investigating the link between stressful life events and depression has decided to use a prospective research design. This means that the researcher will have to

A) select subjects with the prospect of becoming depressed.
B) select subjects with the prospect of experiencing stress.
C) follow subjects over time to see if stress predicts the onset of depression.
D) question subjects carefully to see if their depression has always followed some identifiable stress.

Question 60

Severe events are clearly related to the onset of depression, but they do not provide a complete account of who will become depressed. Studies that examine factors that might explain which people are most likely to become depressed are seeking evidence for what psychologists call

A) fragmentation.
B) vulnerability.
C) retrospective exposure.
D) prospective exposure.

Question 61

Genetic factors seem to

A) play a stronger role in bipolar than unipolar mood disorders.
B) play a stronger role in unipolar than bipolar mood disorders
C) play an insignificant role in the cause of mood disorders.
D) be almost impossible to conduct with current technology.

Question 62

Failure to suppress production of the hormone cortisol in response to the dexamethasone suppression test has implicated a dysfunction of which system in the etiology of depression?

A) genetics
B) MAO inhibition
C) neurotransmitter system
D) hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis

Question 63

Meredith is depressed. According to the interpersonal view of depression, what is a likely description of Meredith?

A) She makes internal causal attributions.
B) Her interpersonal style may alienate others.
C) Her grief over early childhood losses was not resolved.
D) She erroneously believes that her relationships are inadequate.

Question 64

What two response styles are emphasized by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema in her research designed to understand the duration and severity of depression?

A) social and individual
B) internal and external
C) distracting and ruminative
D) predictable and unpredictable

Question 65

Brain imaging studies have identified elevated levels of resting blood flow and glucose metabolism in which area of the brain of depressed patients?

A) amygdala
B) cerebellum
C) parietal lobes
D) temporal lobes

Question 66

Which of the following lists mood disorders from the one with highest heritability to the one with the smallest degree of heritability?

A) dysthymia, cyclothymia, major depressive disorder
B) bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, dysthymia
C) major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia
D) dysthymia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder

Question 67

A hypothesis with regard to the response style model that attempts to explain the difference in rates of depression between men and women is

A) men are more likely to respond to depression with rumination which prolongs and intensifies the depression.
B) women are more likely to respond to depression with rumination which prolongs and intensifies the depression.
C) women are more likely to respond to depression with rumination which has the effect of reducing their level of depression.
D) men are more likely to respond to depression with rumination which has the effect of reducing their level of depression.

Question 68

Using brain imaging techniques to examine activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in depressed patients, researchers have reported finding

A) decreased activity.
B) increased activity.
C) decreased activity in some PFC regions and increased activity in others.
D) decreased activity in patients with unipolar depression and increased activity in patients with bipolar depression.

Question 69

The endocrine system and the central nervous system may be linked in the etiology of depression through which substance?

A) cortisol
B) dopamine
C) HPA
D) Dexamethasone

Question 70

You are running a clinical trial on a method of stimulating regions of the brain in order to relieve symptoms of depression. Given the evidence that underacting in this region is associated with depression you decide to start clinical trials in the

A) reticular activating system.
B) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
C) posterior occipital cortex.
D) amygdala.

Question 71

The best evidence for the influence of nongenetic factors in the cause of mood disorder is in the

A) concordance rates for MZ twins which are less than 100 percent.
B) concordance rates for DZ twins which are less than 100 percent.
C) concordance rates for MZ twins which are less than for DZ twins.
D) concordance rates for DZ twins which are less than for MZ twins.

Question 72

A study by Kendler and his colleagues involving twins was designed to investigate the etiology of depression. What was one of the major conclusions?

A) Genetics plays a small role in depression.
B) The environment plays a major role in depression.
C) Genetic factors seem to influence the effect the environment may have on depression.
D) Twins are relatively immune from depression as a result of the close bond that they form with each other.

Question 73

What is the estimated heritability for unipolar mood disorder?

A) 5 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 75 percent

Question 74

The activity at the synapse of which of the following is most especially enhanced by medications like Prozac?

A) serotonin
B) dopamine
C) activity of the amygdala
D) activity of the cingulate gyrus

Question 75

Studies suggest that the heritability factor for bipolar disorder is approximately

A) 20 percent.
B) 40 percent.
C) 60 percent.
D) 80 percent.

Question 76

Some research evidence suggests that persons who show a ruminative style by writing in a diary or talking extensively with a friend about their depressed mood show

A) increased empathy.
B) longer and more severe depressed moods
C) shorter and less severe depressed moods.
D) good ability to distract themselves from their bad moods.

Question 77

To conduct linkage studies, researchers attempt to find evidence for

A) an association between life events and specific disorders.
B) similar rates of disorder in MZ and DZ twins.
C) different rates of disorder in adopted children and their biological and their adopted parents.
D) an association between a disorder and another trait within the same family.

Question 78

Studies of the concordance rates for unipolar mood disorder and bipolar mood disorder in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins suggest

A) a larger role of genetic factors in bipolar mood disorder.
B) a larger role of genetic factors in unipolar mood disorder.
C) similar concordance rates for bipolar mood disorder in MZ and DZ twins.
D) similar concordance rates for unipolar mood disorder in MZ and DZ twins.

Question 79

A report in a research journal describes the symptoms of a mental disorder along with information on its etiology, including a heritability of 50%. How should this finding be interpreted?

A) Genetic factors and the environment contribute about equally to this disorder.
B) Half of the people who suffer from the disorder have a genetically caused disorder.
C) Half of the children of carriers of this disorder will actually develop the disorder.
D) Geneticists have identified half of the genes thought to be responsible for this disorder.

Question 80

Which of the following is not a neurotransmitter?

A) norepinephrine
B) serotonin
C) catecholamine
D) dopamine