Depression — MCQs

A previously healthy 36-year-old man is brought to the physician by a friend because of fatigue and a depressed mood for the past few weeks. During this time, he has not been going to work and did not show up to meet his friends for two bowling nights. The friend is concerned that he may lose his job. He spends most of his time alone at home watching television on the couch. He has been waking up often at night and sometimes takes 20 minutes to go back to sleep. He has also been drinking half a pint of whiskey per day for 1 week. His wife left him 4 weeks ago and moved out of their house. His vital signs are within normal limits. On mental status examination, he is oriented to person, place and time. He displays a flattened affect and says that he “doesn't know how he can live without his wife.” He denies suicidal ideation. Which of the following is the next appropriate step in management?

A 26-year-old man presents to the emergency department with complaints of intractable, 10/10 abdominal pain without nausea or vomiting. His CT is unremarkable, and other aspects of his history and physical examination suggest that his complaints may not be organic in etiology. His medical record is notable for previous ED visits with similar complaints that had resolved on one occasion with narcotic agents. A previous psychiatric evaluation reports a long history of migraines, depression, and characteristics of antisocial personality disorder. Which of the following best explains his abdominal symptoms?

A 28-year-old woman with a past medical history of fibromyalgia presents to her primary care provider for her annual well visit. She reports that her pain has become more severe over the last several weeks and is no longer well-controlled by NSAIDs. She notes that the pain is beginning to interfere with her sleep and that she feels she no longer has energy to take care of her 2-year-old son. Upon questioning, the patient also endorses feeling more down than usual recently, little interest in seeing friends, and difficulty concentrating on her work. She admits to feeling that she would be “better off dead.” The patient feels strongly that the worsening pain is driving these changes in her mood and that she would feel better if her pain was better controlled. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 38-year-old man comes to the physician because of persistent sadness and difficulty concentrating for the past 6 weeks. During this period, he has also had difficulty sleeping. He adds that he has been “feeling down” most of the time since his girlfriend broke up with him 4 years ago. Since then, he has only had a few periods of time when he did not feel that way, but none of these lasted for more than a month. He reports having no problems with appetite, weight, or energy. He does not use illicit drugs or alcohol. Mental status examination shows a depressed mood and constricted affect. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 17-year-old white female with a history of depression is brought to your office by her parents because they are concerned that she is acting differently. She is quiet and denies any changes in her personality or drug use. After the parents step out so that you can speak alone, she begins crying. She states that school has been very difficult and has been very depressed for the past 2 months. She feels a lot of pressure from her parents and coaches and says she cannot handle it anymore. She says that she has been cutting her wrists for the past week and is planning to commit suicide. She instantly regrets telling you and begs you not to tell her parents. What is the most appropriate course of action?

A 29-year-old man is being monitored at the hospital after cutting open his left wrist. He has a long-standing history of unipolar depressive disorder and multiple trials of antidepressants. The patient expresses thoughts of self-harm and does not deny suicidal intent. A course of electroconvulsive therapy is suggested. His medical history is not significant for other organic illness. Which of the following complications of this therapy is this patient at greatest risk for?

A 34-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 6-week history of depressed mood, loss of interest, and difficulty sleeping. She also has had a 4.5-kg (10-lb) weight loss during this period. She has not been as productive as before at work due to difficulty concentrating. There is no evidence of suicidal ideation. Laboratory studies including thyroid-stimulating hormone are within the reference range. The physician prescribes treatment with escitalopram. This drug targets a neurotransmitter that is produced in which of the following brain structures?

A 67-year-old female is brought to the emergency room by her son for unusual behavior. She moved into her son’s house three years ago after her husband passed away. The son reports that when he returned home from work earlier in the day, he found his mother minimally responsive. She regained consciousness soon after his arrival and did not recall the event. The son also reports that for the past two years, his mother has had trouble remembering names and addresses. She still goes shopping on her own and cooks regularly. Her past medical history is notable for major depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. She takes clomipramine, glyburide, lisinopril, and hydrochlorothiazide. She recently saw her primary care provider who adjusted some of her medication dosages. Her temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 135/75 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, and respirations are 18/min. On examination, she is easily distractible with disorganized speech. She does not recognize her son and thinks that her intravenous line is a rope. She says she feels fine and would like to go home. Brain imaging would likely reveal which of the following?

A 48-year-old patient with congestive heart failure is brought into the emergency room after an attempted suicide. He was found by his daughter whom he lives with while trying to suffocate himself. He had recently moved in with his daughter after his house went into foreclosure. The daughter lives in a small two-bedroom apartment that was recently baby proofed for her daughter. She cares for him and tries to help him with all of his medical appointments and taking his medications on time. He is noted to still consume moderate amounts of alcohol. She is concerned her father might try this again because his aunt died from suicide. Which of the circumstances is protective for this patient?

A 52-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician for her annual checkup. She lost her job 6 months ago and since then she has been feeling worthless because nobody wants to hire her. She also says that she is finding it difficult to concentrate, which is exacerbated by the fact that she has lost interest in activities that she used to love such as doing puzzles and working in the garden. She says that she is sleeping over 10 hours every day because she says it is difficult to find the energy to get up in the morning. She denies having any thoughts about suicide. Which of the following neurotransmitter profiles would most likely be seen in this patient?