Concept Practice
Explaining Mood Disorders

Chapter 95. Explaining Mood Disorders

biological perspective
an approach to psychology that emphasizes the links between biology and behavior, especially the impact of genetic influences, drug and hormonal influences, and unusual brain activity
biopsychosocial approach
a way of thinking about behavior that acknowledges the interacting influences of a person’s biological foundation, inner psychological factors, and external social factors
cycle of depression
a set of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that tend to reinforce each other, sending a mildly depressed person into a deeper and deeper negative mood
depression
extreme mood swing in a negative direction, accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness
environment
external influences on development from the physical and social world
learned helplessness
passive, hopeless acceptance of unpleasant events as inevitable; based on prior exposure to repeated unavoidable negative events
limbic system
group of brain structures that play a role in emotion, motivation, and memory
mania
a symptom of bipolar disorder; characterized by a dramatically elevated mood
mood disorders
a group of psychological disorders in which the main symptom is a dramatic and persistent shift in a person’s mood and energy level
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers released by the axon terminal into the synaptic gap between neurons
norepinephrine
neurotransmitter involved in arousal and mood
serotonin
neurotransmitter involved in mood and sleep
social-cognitive perspective
an approach to studying personality that explains behavior in terms of the interaction between a person’s individual characteristics and the social environment
stress hormones
chemical messengers released into the bloodstream to arouse the body for action
interaction
the combined result of influences from two or more factors; typically, the presence of one factor changes the impact of the other factor
Explaining Mood Disorders
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Learning Objectives:

Contrast the biological perspective and the social-cognitive perspective on explaining mood disorders.

Describe the biopsychosocial approach as it relates to mood disorders.

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The image is a basic flow chart that shows how genetic influences lead to mania (an extremely positive mood) and to depression (an extremely negative mood).

1. The biological perspective on mood disorders emphasizes genetic influences that may predispose certain individuals to experience depression or mania.

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The image includes the brain and limbic system. The cerebral cortex of the brain surrounds the areas labeled in the limbic system, which are in the middle of the brain and above the brainstem. In the center of the limbic system is the thalamus. Surrounding the thalamus is a horseshoe shaped area called the hippocampus. At the end of the hippocampus is the pea-sized amygdala. Underneath the thalamus, on the opposite side of the hippocampus from the amygdala, is a small structure called the hypothalamus.

2. These genetic influences may shape the structure or function of key areas in the brain related to mood and memory, such as the limbic system. Genetic factors also influence the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, two types of neurotransmitters linked to mood.

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3. In addition, environmental events that raise the body's stress hormones may damage these brain areas or alter neurotransmitter levels, producing symptoms of depression or mania.

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The image is a basic flow chart that shows how learned helplessness leads to self-defeating beliefs, which lead to a depressed mood.

4. The social-cognitive perspective on mood disorders emphasizes the role of self-defeating beliefs about one’s own worthlessness. A history of unavoidable punishing events may have created learned helplessness, a sense of passive resignation, or fatalism, about life.

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The image is a flow diagram that forms a spiral. The title is Cycle of depression and there are 9 steps leading from the outside of the spiral to the middle. Step 1: Negative event; my boss criticized me. Step 2: Negative thoughts; my work is poor quality. Step 3: Negative feelings; I feel inadequate. Step 4: Negative behaviors; I stop trying to work hard. Step 5: Negative event; my boss fired me. Step 6: Negative thoughts; Ill never find another job. Step 7: Negative feelings; I feel worthless. Step 8: Negative behaviors; I give up. Step 9: Depression; extremely negative mood.

5. These factors can create a cycle of depression in which unpleasant events (such as losing a job) are interpreted through a negative explanatory style. This can pull the person into a hopeless, depressed state, producing thoughts and actions that make future failures more likely.

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The image is a Venn diagram with three overlapping circles. The circles represent groups of factors influencing psychological disorders: biological, social, and psychological. The factors included in the biological group are genetic vulnerabilities, brain chemistry, physical health, temperament, drug use, and mental health. The factors included in the social group are peer group, neighborhood, family structure, school, traumatic events, drug use, and mental health. The factors included in the psychological group are stress management, selfesteem, values and beliefs, traumatic events, temperament, and mental health. Those factors that include overlap between two groups are temperament (groups biological and psychological), drug use (groups biological and social), and traumatic events (groups psychological and social). Mental health is in the area overlapped by all three groups.

6. The biopsychosocial approach combines these two perspectives to show that many factors interact with each other to make a person vulnerable to mood disorders.

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Practice 1: Biological Perspective

Roll over each possible cause of mood disorders to view an explanation of its role in mood disorders.

Genetic influences

Brain structure

Brain chemistry

Role in mood disorders:

Mood disorders tend to run in families. Inherited genes predispose some people to depression or bipolar disorder.

Depressed individuals sometimes have stress-related damage to the hippocampus. Depressed individuals sometimes have smaller-than-normal frontal lobes.

Many depressed individuals have low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The neurotransmitter norepinephrine is high during mania and low during depression.

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Practice 2: Social-Cognitive Perspective

Roll over each possible cause of mood disorders to view an explanation of its role in mood disorders.

Negative explanatory style

Learned helplessness

Self-defeating beliefs

Negative events

Cycle of depression

Role in mood disorders:

Depressed individuals usually have a pessimistic outlook on life and tend to explain their failures as a direct result of their permanent personality characteristics.

Many depressed individuals have experienced repeated uncontrollable painful or traumatic events in the past. As a result, they have developed a helpless feeling of having no control over their lives.

Many depressed individuals believe that failure is inevitable. So, they put less effort into their tasks, and, as a result, are more likely to fail.

Pessimistic thoughts and feelings of helplessness may predispose a person to depression, but often a series of negative, stressful events is the trigger that sends a person into depression.

When stressful events occur, a person who interprets those events through a negative explanatory style is likely to sink into a hopeless, depressed mood that will trigger further negative thoughts and withdrawn behavior, and lead to rejection by others and new failures. The cycle feeds on itself to deepen the depression.

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Practice 3: The Biopsychosocial Model

Roll over each type of influence to view an explanation of its role in mood disorders.

Role in mood disorders:

genetic influences, brain chemistry changes, stress-related brain damage

negative explanatory style, learned helplessness, emotional responses

traumatic negative events, cultural expectations, reactions from others

The image is a pyramid representing depressed mood. Each point of the pyramid represents a group of influences: biological influences, psychological influences, and social-cultural influences. These three types of influences interact with each other to produce depression. This model combines the biological perspective and the social-cognitive perspective.
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Quiz 1

Drag each of the concepts to one of the gray areas below the appropriate perspective. When the concepts have all been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Select the NEXT button and move to Quiz 2.
Perhaps you should go back to review the biological perspective and the social-cognitive perspective, and their relationship to mood disorders.

Biological perspective

Social-cognitive perspective

Negative explanatory style
Norepinephrine levels
Damage to hippocampus
Genetic predispositions
Self-defeating beliefs
Low serotonin levels
Negative events
Smaller frontal lobes
Cycle of depression
Learned helplessness
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Quiz 2

Read the scenario, and then match the statements with types of biopsychosocial influences on depression by dragging each colored circle to the appropriate gray circle. When all the circles have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Mariel is a first-year student at a large university. For the first two months, everything seemed fine. But now her life is coming unraveled, and she is slipping into depression. According to the biopsychosocial model, three types of influences are at work on Mariel's mood.

Select the NEXT button and move to the Conclusion.
Perhaps you should go back to review the biopsychosocial influences on mood disorders.
Mariel had a huge fight with her best friend.
Mariel's father has struggled with depression for most of his life.
Mariel has a major exam coming up. She feels unprepared and inadequate.
This might have a biological influence on her depression.
This might have a psychological influence on her depression.
This might have a social-cultural influence on her depression.
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You have completed the activity Explaining Mood Disorders.