RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

Endogenous depression is also known as

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024

Explanation

  • Endogenous depression is understood to originate from internal factors, such as genetics or neurobiology, rather than external life events.
  • The term 'autonomous' reflects this independence from external stimuli and its self-governing nature, aligning with the 'endo-' prefix meaning 'within'.
  • It is also referred to as melancholic or biological depression and is often characterized by a distinct pattern of symptoms including anhedonia, psychomotor changes, and diurnal mood variation.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option B: This type of depression is, by definition, a direct reaction to external stressful life events, making it the opposite of endogenous depression.
  • Option C: This refers to the depressive phase within bipolar disorder, which is a separate diagnostic category defined by the presence of both depressive and manic/hypomanic episodes.
  • Option D: This is a broad diagnostic category for major depression that does not include manic episodes. Endogenous depression is considered a specific subtype of unipolar depression, not a synonym for it.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Classification and terminology of depressive disorders as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Differentiating between endogenous and reactive depression is clinically important for guiding treatment. Endogenous depression often shows a better response to biological treatments like antidepressant medications and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).
  • In contrast, reactive depression may be more responsive to psychotherapy (like cognitive-behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy) aimed at developing coping skills and addressing the external stressor.
  • What if? If a patient's depressive symptoms began immediately after a major life stressor and they report feeling better when distracted by friends, the diagnosis would more likely be reactive depression, shifting the primary treatment focus towards supportive psychotherapy.
How to Approach the Question
  • This is a factual recall question testing your knowledge of psychiatric terminology.
  • First, identify the core term in the question: 'Endogenous depression'.
  • Recall the meaning of the prefix 'endo-', which means 'within' or 'internal'. This is a key clue that the cause is from inside the person.
  • Evaluate the options based on this clue. 'Autonomous' means self-governing or independent, which aligns perfectly with the 'internal' nature of endogenous depression.
  • Systematically eliminate the distractors: 'Reactive' is the opposite (caused by external reaction). 'Bipolar' is a different disorder involving mania. 'Unipolar' is a broader category, not a specific synonym.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Classification and terminology of depressive disorders.
  • Stem keywords: Endogenous depression
  • Lead-in keywords: also known as
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qzki8LdHIp80b-goc_GzW-

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 5636-5638, 5635-5637, 5432-5434

Practise the full RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.