Mood Disorders
Full course description
This course is intended to give students an overview of current concepts and research in the field of mood disorders. During the course, students learn about and discuss fundamental aspects of onset and course of the most important mood disorders (major depression, bipolar disorder and dysthymia). Over the last couple of decades, it has become increasingly clear that mood disorders are chronic psychiatric disorders characterised by acute episodes, relapses, recurrences and residual symptomatology. Both onset and course of mood disorders are the result of complex interactions between distal (e.g. genetic and developmental) and proximal (e.g. severe life events) risk factors. Students will discuss mood disorders across the life span in the light of biological, psychological and social approaches. Current research strategies aimed at clarifying the role of these different aspects will be the central theme throughout the course. Based on this framework, students learn about state-of-the-art treatments for mood disorders.
The final assessment for this course is a numerical grade between 0,0 and 10,0.
Course objectives
- Students are able to discuss relevant factors involved in the epidemiology, the etiology of mood disorders, and the course of mood disorders.
- Students can explain concepts such as kindling or scar effects.
- Students are able to reflect on the role of personality, stress, neurotransmitters, biological influences, genes, environment, gene-environment interactions, cognitive biases. Students can critically reflect on and evaluate different perspectives on these matters.
- Students can reflect on possible exlanations for gender differences.
- Students are able to classify the different types of mood disorders: major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia.
- Students are able to appraise diagnostic issues and can evaluate the (dis)advantages of different ways of thinking about diagnostic issues (comorbidity, classification systems, network models).
- Students are able to elaborate on different pharmacological and psychologicaltreatment options for mood disorders and to discuss their (dis)advantages. Examples are SSRIs, SNRI's, Lithium, antipsychotics, or Cognitive Therapy, Behavioural Activation, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.
- Students can evaluate literature on the efficacy and evectiveness of these treatment options.
- Students can explain when which treatment options are relevant.
- Students can synthesize and critically evaluate scientific literature on mood disorders.
- Students can identify gaps in the literature and develop and present their own ideas for research in a self-chosen area related to mood disorders.