Depression — MCQs

A 42-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-year history of urinating up to 20 times each day. He has not had any dysuria and nocturia. He has been evaluated by several urologists but has not received a specific diagnosis despite extensive diagnostic testing. Various pharmacologic treatments have not improved his symptoms. He quit his job 1 year ago and stopped attending social events because his frequent urination has been disruptive. He spends most of his time at the library trying to learn what could be causing his symptoms. He would like to undergo a CT scan of his entire body to evaluate for cancer. Physical examination and laboratory studies show no abnormalities. Mental status examination shows a depressed mood and constricted affect. There is no evidence of suicidal ideation. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's symptoms?

A 42-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her husband because she cries frequently and refuses to get out of bed. Over the past 3 weeks, she has been feeling sad and tired most of the time. She has difficulty staying asleep at night and often wakes up early in the morning. After losing her job as a waitress 1 month ago, she has been feeling guilty for not contributing to the household income anymore. She would like to find a new position but is unable to decide “what to do with her life”. She was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age 18 and has gone to psychotherapy several times since then. Her weight had been stable for the past 5 years; however, within the past 3 weeks, she has had a 2.8-kg (6.2-lb) weight loss. She would like to regain some weight. She is 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall and currently weighs 47 kg (104 lb); BMI is 18.4 kg/m2. Her temperature is 36.3°C (97.3°F), pulse is 58/min, and blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Mental status examination shows a depressed mood and flat affect. There is no evidence of suicidal ideation. Which of the following drugs is most likely to address both this patient's mood disorder and her desire to gain weight?

A 32-year-old woman presents to a psychiatrist to discuss a recent event in her life. At a social function 2 days back, she met a man who introduced himself as having worked with her at another private company 3 years ago. However, she did not recognize him. She also says that she does not remember working at any such company at any time during her life. However, the patient’s husband says that she had indeed worked at that company for three months and had quit due to her boss’s abusive behavior towards her. The man who met her at the function had actually been her colleague at that job. The woman asks the doctor, “How is it possible? I am really not able to recall any memories of having worked at any such company. What’s going on here?”. Her husband adds that after she quit the job, her mood frequently has been low. The patient denies any crying episodes, suicidal ideas, not enjoying recreational activities or feelings of worthlessness. Her appetite and sleep patterns are normal. She is otherwise a healthy woman with no significant medical history and lives a normal social and occupational life. The patient reports no history of smoking, alcohol, or substance use. On physical examination, she is alert and well-oriented to time, place and person. During memory testing, she correctly remembers the date of her marriage that took place 5 years back and the food she ate over the last 2 days. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A previously healthy 14-year-old boy is brought to the physician for evaluation because of loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and extreme irritability for 3 weeks. He recently quit the school's football team after missing many practices. He has also been avoiding his family and friends because he is not in the mood to see them but admits that he is lonely. He has not left his room for 2 days, which prompted his father to bring him to the physician. He has no medical conditions and does not take any medications. He does not drink alcohol or use recreational drugs. While the father is in the waiting room, mental status examination is conducted, which shows a constricted affect. Cognition is intact. He says that he would be better off dead and refuses to be treated. He says he wants to use his father's licensed firearm to “end his misery” over the weekend when his parents are at church. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 60-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department because of altered mental status for 2 hours. She and her husband were at the grocery store when she suddenly could not remember why she was there or how she got there. She has not had any head trauma. She has a history of depression and migraines. She does not smoke and drinks a glass of wine each night with dinner. She takes fluoxetine daily. She appears distressed and anxious. Her vital signs are within normal limits. She is fully alert and oriented to self and place but not to time. Every few minutes she asks how she got to the emergency department. She is able to follow commands and sustain attention. She recalls 3/3 objects immediately and recalls 0/3 objects at 5 minutes. The remainder of the neurological exam shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 61-year-old female presents to her primary care physician complaining of fatigue and feeling sad. She reports that ever since her husband passed away 3 months ago, she has noticed a decrease in her energy level and reports frequently awaking at 2 in the morning and cannot fall back asleep. She sometimes wakes up and hears her husband's voice, constantly thinks about how much she misses him, and has recently thought about ways to kill herself including driving through a red light. She used to be an active member of her neighborhood’s bridge club but has stopped playing. She has lost 15 pounds and rarely feels hungry. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 37-year-old woman presents to her physician with a decreased interest in her daily activities. She says that she has noticed a decreased motivation to participate in her daily routine. She says she feels sad and depressed on most days of the week. She reports her symptoms have been there for about two months but have been more severe for the past 3 weeks. She also says she is unable to sleep well at night and feels tired most of the day, which is affecting her job performance. The patient reports a 10-pack-year smoking history which has increased in frequency lately and she would like to quit. Lately, she has observed an inability to reach orgasm during intercourse and has also lost all interest in sex. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy for this patient?

A 31-year-old woman has a follow-up visit with her psychiatrist. She was recently diagnosed with major depressive disorder and was started on citalopram 3 months ago. Her dosage was increased one time 6 weeks ago. She has come in to discuss her progress and notes that she feels “normal again” and “happier” and has not experienced her usual feelings of depression, crying spells, or insomnia. Her appetite has also improved and she is performing better at work, stating that she has more focus and motivation to complete her assignments. During the beginning of her treatment, she states that she had occasional headaches and diarrhea, but that she no longer has those side effects. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in this patient’s management?

A 47-year-old man is referred to the outpatient psychiatry clinic for depressed mood. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer recently. Since then, he has not been able to go to work. Over the past several weeks, he has had significant unintentional weight loss and several bouts of epigastric pain. He lost his father to cancer when he was 10 years old. After a complete history and physical examination, the patient is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, provisional. Which of the following statements regarding this patient’s psychiatric condition is true?

An 18-year-old female visits your obstetrics clinic for her first prenatal checkup. It's her first month of pregnancy and other than morning sickness, she is feeling well. Upon inquiring about her past medical history, the patient admits that she used to be very fearful of weight gain and often used laxatives to lose weight. After getting therapy for this condition, she regained her normal body weight but continues to struggle with the disease occasionally. Given this history, how could her past condition affect the pregnancy?