Mood Disorders — MCQs

Q: A 29-year-old female has persistently low mood, doesn’t feel like doing anything, sleeps 15 hours a day, limbs feel heavy, eats a lot for 2 months. She feels happy when she hears her mother is coming to visit her in 2 weeks. Likely diagnosis?

MDD -Atypical features. ***MDD -Atypical features*** - This patient presents with the hallmark symptoms of **atypical depression**, which include **hypersomnia**, **hyperphagia** (increased appetite/weight gain), and **leaden paralysis** (heavy feeling in arms and legs). - A defining feature is **mood reactivity**, where the patient's mood brightens in response to positive external events (like her mother's visit), distinguishing it from melancholic depression. *Mania* - Characterized by a distinct period of **elevated or irritable mood** and **increased energy**, directly opposing the lethargy and low mood seen here. - Patients with mania typically show a **decreased need for sleep**, whereas this patient is sleeping excessively (15 hours). *Adjustment disorder* - This diagnosis requires symptoms to occur in response to an **identifiable stressor** within 3 months of the event; the vignette describes a persistent 2-month period without a specific trigger. - It is a milder condition and usually does not manifest with the specific complex of vegetative symptoms (hypersomnia/hyperphagia) seen in this case. *Anxiety disorder* - While often comorbid with depression, generalized anxiety focuses on **excessive worry** rather than the pervasive low mood and anhedonia (lack of interest) described. - The specific somatic symptoms of leaden paralysis and hyperphagia are more characteristic of depressive disorders with atypical features than primary anxiety states.

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Major Depressive Disorder

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Bipolar Disorder: Manic Episodes

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Bipolar Disorder: Depressive and Mixed Episodes

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Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

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Cyclothymic Disorder

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

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Suicide and Suicidal Behavior

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Pharmacotherapy of Mood Disorders

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Psychotherapy for Mood Disorders

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Brain Stimulation Therapies

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Treatment-Resistant Depression

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Mood Disorders in Special Populations

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