Depression Case Study 1: Depression

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Mood Disorders
Case 1: Depression
1. What are the salient historical features of the case?
The only noticeable historical feature of the case is the patient’s depressed mood. The patient’s chronic history of depression is associated to the diagnosis of recurrent major depressive disorder. However, the severity of the depressive episode cannot be determined due to the limited information provided by the patient. The patient fails to specify distinctive symptoms that are essential for the classification of the severity of the depressive episode. In most patients, depressive symptoms cause substantial distress and impairment of social functioning.
2. What physical examination is appropriate to the diagnosis?
Although there are not specific physical …show more content…

For instance, the patient’s symptoms and appearance are not described. Furthermore, the patient does not admit decreased appetite, anhedonia, changes in his sleep, psychomotor agitation, inappropriate guilt, diminished concentration, or suicidal thoughts. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for major depressive disorder, a patient must present at least 5 of the following symptoms mentioned above for at least 2 weeks and 1 of the symptoms must include anhedonia or depressed mood (Ottesen, …show more content…

2. What physical examination is appropriate to the diagnosis? The examination of a patient with suspected bipolar disorder must include a thorough mental status examination and adequate assessment of the following aspects; affect, appearance, thought content, perception, judgment, cognition, violence, and general physical health. To rule out organic etiologies, it is important to check a complete blood count, elevated sedimentation rate level, fasting glucose level, electrolyte levels, thyroid hormone levels, liver and lipid panel, urine drug screen, and alcohol screening (Ketter, 2010).
3. What mental status changes are significant?
The most significant mental status changes that are present in this case include the patient’s extreme changes in energy, activity, and sleep. For example, it is stated that the patient had not slept for 3-4 consecutive weeks. Additionally, he had been involved in perilous activities. During the mental status examination, the patient exhibits multiple characteristics of a typical manic episode (Bipolar I

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