Grief is differentiated from major depressive disorder by which mood pattern?

Grief is differentiated from major depressive disorder by which mood pattern?

• A. Bad days and good days
• B. Flat mood every day
• C. Anhedonia every day
• D. Persistent guilt

Answer: (A)

The mood pattern being tested is how grief contrasts with major depressive disorder: grief tends to be episodic, with sadness linked to reminders of the loss but periods of relief or better mood in between. In grief, people can have bad days and good days, and functioning often fluctuates rather than remaining depressed all the time. This stands in contrast to major depressive disorder, where mood is persistently depressed most of the day, nearly every day, for a prolonged period, often with anhedonia and other pervasive symptoms. Among the options, the pattern of having both bad days and good days best fits grief. The other patterns describe a more constant, flat, or pervasive depressive state rather than the fluctuating course typical of grief.

The mood pattern being tested is how grief contrasts with major depressive disorder: grief tends to be episodic, with sadness linked to reminders of the loss but periods of relief or better mood in between. In grief, people can have bad days and good days, and functioning often fluctuates rather than remaining depressed all the time. This stands in contrast to major depressive disorder, where mood is persistently depressed most of the day, nearly every day, for a prolonged period, often with anhedonia and other pervasive symptoms. Among the options, the pattern of having both bad days and good days best fits grief. The other patterns describe a more constant, flat, or pervasive depressive state rather than the fluctuating course typical of grief.