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[Mood and state of mind]
1Psychiatrische Klinik Kantonsspitals Luzern.
Schweizerische Rundschau Fur Medizin Praxis = Revue Suisse De Medecine Praxis
|September 17, 1991
Summary
Basic mood significantly impacts human relations through unconscious facial communication. Self-awareness can influence mood, but untreated depression, a pathological affect, requires medical attention and empathy.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Basic human mood profoundly influences interpersonal dynamics.
- Facial expressions unconsciously communicate mood, creating self-fulfilling prophecies in social interactions.
- The impact of pre-existing mood on experience is recognized across philosophy and psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significance of basic mood in human relations.
- To differentiate normal mood fluctuations from pathological depression.
- To emphasize the importance of physician awareness and empathy in treating depression.
Main Methods:
- Review of philosophical and psychological literature on mood and perception.
- Clinical description of depression as a pathological affect with somatic symptoms.
- Discussion of treatment modalities, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.
Main Results:
- Pre-existing mood significantly shapes social interactions and personal experiences.
- Depression is a serious, potentially fatal condition affecting 15-25% of sufferers through suicide.
- Beck's Cognitive Therapy is an effective psychotherapy for depression.
Conclusions:
- Physicians must be familiar with depression for adequate treatment and to foster empathetic patient care.
- Self-awareness is crucial for mood regulation; failure can lead to unalterable expressions.
- Effective treatment of depression involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy, with cognitive therapy showing particular efficacy.