Major Depressive Disorder Case Study

In the third interview, the patient seems to be exhibiting symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. Major Depressive Disorder is a period of intense depressed mood and/or loss of interest in activities accompanied by at least four additional symptoms including sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, fatigue, lack of energy, feelings of worthlessness, loss of concentration, or suicidal thoughts. Symptoms must last at two weeks, but on average they last about six months. During a depressive episode, patients may experience abnormal changes in sleeping patterns, eating habits, and weight loss or gain. Major Depressive Disorder is highly recurrent; this means that people who experience a depressive episode in their life are likely to experience another

You would not diagnose someone with a mental disorder if their behavior is a maladaptive response to the environment. The person’s symptoms only meet the criteria of a mental disorder if the symptoms or actions cause a “harmful dysfunction,” the patient’s distress significantly impairs their functioning (according to online lesson 21.) The patient explains that she is sleeping an abnormal amount, up to 15-16 hours per day. This may be due to the lack of energy she claims to be experiencing. It is a struggle for her to get out of bed in the morning, and is affecting her job performance. She is constantly calling in sick to work when she is not physically sick. She claims that sleeping helps pass the time. On the days that she does persuade herself to go to work, it is very difficult for her. She experiences feelings of worthlessness, and often wonders what the point of everything is. Painting used to be a passion of hers, however since this depression manifested, she has stopped pursuing it. She claims it does not give her the same feeling it used to, and is uninspired. The patient recalls experiencing these depressing feelings before, but not to the same extent. She mentions that she is not spending time with family and friends like she used to. These symptoms appear to be dysfunctional and cause

The patient mentions that her mother experienced the same type of sadness she is going through. This could be evidence that the patient has genetic predispositions for Major Depressive Disorder. MDD can be the result of several genetic factors. No single genetic factor is responsible for Major Depressive Disorder. Genetic factors are only expected to have small effects on MDD, and multiple genes affected by environmental factors are necessary for the development of Major Depressive Disorder (according to Lohoff, 2011.) Depression often runs in families. It is estimated that first-degree relatives of people with depression are two to five times more likely to develop depression than others who do not have a family history of depression (according to online lesson 22.) Since there is no single gene that causes depression, it is hypothesized that depression is the result in the increase of the individual’s sensitivity to environmental stress which can trigger depression. The Diathesis stress model suggests that psychological disorders such as depression are a result of the interaction of the biological predisposition for the disorder and stressful events in the environment that creates an opportunity to the onset of the disorder. Researchers have found that a combination of particular alleles for genes in the serotonin system creates a higher risk of depression and increased