Can You Tell Depression Facts from Fiction?

Test your knowledge of depression!

Freud described depression as…

A) Misplaced anger.

B) An emotional reaction to physical exhaustion.

C) A sense of mourning, without being conscious of what or who the individual is mourning over.

D) A normal part of the developmental process.

Contemporary research defines depression as…

A) Long-term unhappiness.

B) Extreme and persistent sadness, together with a sense of lacking.

C) A reaction to a destabilizing event, such as an accident or death of a loved one.

D) All of the above.

Depression is a pretty rare condition.

A) It is pretty rare and is generally over-reported.

B) It is among the most common mental health disorders in particular regions of the world.

C) It is a relatively common mental health condition and is more prevalent among women than men.

D) Depression has the same rates across cultures, genders, and all other distinctive categories.

There is a personality trait that makes it more likely to develop full-blown depression.

A) True, it is (high) neuroticism.

B) True, it is (low) extraversion.

C) True, and in fact, there is an entire depressive personality disorder that is currently recognized.

D) False, there is no known personality trait that increases the likelihood of major depression.

It is easy to hide major depression, as it predominantly affects one’s emotions, which can be concealed.

A) True, depression is a mood disorder, and as such is mainly characterized by an internal disturbance of one’s emotions.

B) False, depression causes such extreme bouts of crying and emotional outbursts as to make it very hard to conceal.

C) False, depression can be concealed, but only through medication.

D) False, depression affects individuals in a number of central areas of life.

Depression often passes on its own.

A) True.

B) False.

C) Surprisingly, depression remission rates are roughly the same among those who seek treatment and those who do not. They differ, however, in their symptom severity.

D) Oftentimes, depression that passes on its own is later discovered to have been misdiagnosed.

The best-known treatment for depression is medication.

A) True, antidepressant medication is the best-known treatment for this condition.

B) Partially true, as both antidepressants and psychotherapy have been shown to offer the safest and most efficacious results as treatments for depression.

C) False, psychotherapy is actually more effective in treating depression than other forms of treatments.

D) False, recent studies have shown that a routine that includes meditation and yoga yields more impressive results than medication.

Treatment-resistant depression is essentially akin to chronic life-long depression.

A) Sadly, this is true.

B) False, treatment-resistant depression is when patients do not respond well to at least two types of medication.

C) Treatment-resistant depression is distinct from major depressive disorder, and as such is considered a different diagnosis.

D) Treatment-resistant depression is actually a stage within major depressive disorder.

Common side effects of the SSRI family, which is the most frequently prescribed group of antidepressants, include…

A) Weight gain, nausea, and sexual dysfunction.

B) Suicidal ideation and self-harm.

C) Constipation and irregular heart rates.

D) Short-term memory loss.

Depression and anxiety have been found to be linked to the same mental processes.

A) True, they are both believed to be connected to a general lack of happiness (anhedonia).

B) True, as both are associated with a negative self-image.

C) False, the two are in fact polar opposites of one another.

D) False. Depression is linked to a lacking sensation, while anxiety is experienced as a system overload.

Seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) is not considered an official depressive diagnosis.

A) True, it is a common pop culture misconception.

B) True, though recent research has noted SAD-like symptoms in northern European populations.

C) False, SAD has its own section within the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

D) False, SAD is considered a subtype of major depressive disorder.

The child of someone with depression is destined to face the same condition.

A) True.

B) True for girls but not for boys.

C) False, their chances of developing depression are significant, though other factors, such as environment and therapeutic intervention, can stave it off.

D) False, though the chance of developing depression among children of parents with this condition remains unclear.

Can You Tell Depression Facts from Fiction?

Can You Tell Depression Facts from Fiction?

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