Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Since heterogeneity in depressed patients makes treatment decisions difficult and treatment often unsuccessful, we seek to identify certain subtypes of depression. 30 to 40% of depressed patients have anger regulation problems; from irritability to anger attacks. What is the significance of anger in depression? Does it signify a subtype of depression?\nIn the NESDA cohort, we compared a large sample of currently depressed patients with irritability to currently depressed patients without irritability. Irritable depressed patients had more symptoms of depression, more often had comorbid anxiety and had more often attempted suicide than non-irritable depressed patients.\nIn a student sample, we investigated the role of the MAOA genotype and found that women with the high expression variant are possibly more vulnerable to anger or aggression during depression.\nUsing acute tryptophan depletion we temporarily lowered serotonin in remitted depressed patients with and without anger regulation problems during their depression. We found no cognitive differences between the two groups, but the experiment did show us that depressed patients with anger regulation problems may be more serotonergically vulnerable.\nFurther research is needed to elucidate best suited treatment strategies for anger regulation problems in depression
Author: Floortje Elisabeth Verhoeven
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2588866940