The effectiveness of lamotrigine for persistent depressive disorder: A case report

Background: Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is a chronic problem that is more prevalent among women than men. Various studies have revealed that these people experience many problems in their interpersonal relationships, which increase their suffering. Objectives: The present study was done to identify how people suffering from PDD experience interpersonal relationships that often seem troubled and broken. Methods: A phenomenological approach was adopted for this qualitative study. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 individuals with PDD, focusing on exploring their experience and suffering in interpersonal relationships. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological descriptive method. Results: In general, five main themes and 16 sub-themes emerged. The main themes were: (1) Feeling empty of love and compassion; (2) feeling ignored; (3) ignoring others’ needs, conditions, and suffering; (4) feeling of being annoying to others; and (5) feeling confused and helpless in relationships. Conclusions: It seems that all five themes convey the message that these individuals demonstrate less skill in feeling compassion and receiving it from others. Therefore, it appears that long-term compassion-based interventions can effectively reduce the interpersonal suffering of these individuals. It should be noted that although these themes have commonalities in different cultural contexts, the culture can influence the content and intensity of these feelings.

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Depressive Disorders: Update on Diagnosis, Etiology, and Treatment

10.2310/tywc.1640 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Isabelle E. Bauer ◽

Antonio L Teixeira ◽

Marsal Sanches ◽

Jair C. Soares

Keyword(s):

Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ◽

Brain Volumes ◽

Somatic Therapy ◽

Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

History Of ◽

Persistent Depressive Disorder

This review discusses the changes in the diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and recent findings exploring the etiology of and treatment strategies for these disorders. Depressive disorders are typically characterized by depression in the absence of a lifetime history of mania or hypomania. New developments in the DSM-5 include the recognition of new types of depressive disorders, such as disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, persistent depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and the addition of catatonic features as a specifier for persistent depressive disorder. These diagnostic changes have important implications for the prognosis and treatment of this condition. A thorough understanding of both the clinical phenotype and the biosignature of these conditions is essential to provide individualized, long-term, effective treatments to affected individuals. This review contains 1 table and 52 references Key words: brain volumes, depressive disorders, DSM-5, hormones, inflammation, neuropeptides, somatic therapy, stress

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Combining baseline characteristics to disentangle response differences to disorder-specific versus supportive psychotherapy in patients with persistent depressive disorder

Behaviour Research and Therapy ◽

10.1016/j.brat.2019.103512 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 124 ◽

pp. 103512 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ilinca Serbanescu ◽

Henrik Walter ◽

Knut Schnell ◽

Henrik Kessler ◽

Bernd Weber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Disorder ◽

Supportive Psychotherapy ◽

Baseline Characteristics ◽

Persistent Depressive Disorder

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Psychiatric shades of grey: mirtazapine-induced hair discoloration and hair loss

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2015.71 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 175-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Osman ◽

M. D. McCauley

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Case Report ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Hair Loss ◽

Temporal Relationship ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Hair Colour ◽

Medical Reason

IntroductionMirtazapine is indicated in the treatment of major depressive disorder particularly in selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors resistance. Its effect on hair loss is rare with no previous documented effect on hair colour.MethodReview of relevant literature and description of a case report of a 54-year-old male patient who developed alopecia and hair discoloration after initiation of mirtazapine treatment.ResultsUpon cessation of mirtazapine treatment full restoration of hair colour and regrowth of hair was attained within 10 weeks.DiscussionThere was clear temporal relationship between experiencing hair loss and commencing mirtazapine treatment. No other more likely medical reason to explain such experience was established. A noticeable restoration of the hair colour occurred following mirtazapine cessation.ConclusionMirtazapine is associated with hair discoloration and hair loss. The possibility of such distressing adverse effects needs to be conveyed to patients by clinicians and to be further explored by researchers.

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Persistent Depressive Disorder

The Oxford Handbook of Mood Disorders ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199973965.013.20 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 226-237

Author(s):

Daniel N. Klein ◽

Sarah R. Black

Keyword(s):

Depressive Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Statistical Manual ◽

Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽

The Past ◽

Psychotherapeutic Interventions ◽

Interpersonal Difficulties ◽

Persistent Depression ◽

Continuation Maintenance ◽

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Over the past few decades, there has been increasing recognition of the problem of persistent, or chronic, depression. Chronic depressions account for up to a third of the cases of depression in the community and half the cases in clinical practice. Moreover, as reflected in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), persistent depressive disorder differs in many significant respects from nonpersistent depression. This chapter provides an overview of the current literature on persistent depression, starting with classification, epidemiology, and course. Psychosocial and neurobiological risk factors, including early adversity, genetics, personality/temperament, cognitive style, interpersonal difficulties, neural abnormalities, and chronic stress, are then reviewed. Next, we discuss psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions for acute and continuation/maintenance treatment of persistent depression. We conclude with suggestions for future research.

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Persistent Depressive Disorder/Dysthymia

The Guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190662592.003.0017 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 160-166

Author(s):

Myrna M. Weissman ◽

John C. Markowitz ◽

Gerald L. Klerman

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Maintenance Therapy ◽

Role Transition ◽

Depressed Woman ◽

Track Record ◽

Self Image ◽

Long Duration ◽

Current Mood ◽

Persistent Depressive Disorder

This chapter describes the adaptation of IPT for the treatment of patients with persistent depressive disorder/dysthymia. The usual IPT model connects a recent event in the patient’s life with current mood and symptoms, but for patients who have been depressed for years, this model makes less sense. Instead, the IPT therapist makes the treatment itself a role transition from longstanding depression to euthymia in which patients learn to recognize depressive symptoms of long duration and how they have affected their social functioning. The therapist offers a formulation that shifts the blame for the patient’s situation from the patient to the illness. Treatment includes sixteen weekly sessions to drive these points home, although monthly continuation sessions and maintenance therapy are frequently offered so that patients’ new self-image and track record of healthy interpersonal functioning can sink in. A case example is given of a chronically depressed woman who improves with IPT.

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