Psychiatry Mnemonics

Psychiatry Mnemonics

Reinforcement schedules: variable ratio SLOT machines
show SLOwesTextinction.

Depression: major episode DSM-IV criteria · First, of course
depressed mood is one. Then:
SIG E CAPS:
Sleep disturbance
Interest loss
Guilt (or intense worthlessness)
Energy loss
Concentration loss
Appetite changes
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Suicidal tendency

HM: this classic patient’s lesion HM had Hippocampus
Missing.
Hippocampus and surrounding areas were removed surgically: prevented formation
of new memories.

Gain: primary vs. secondary vs. tertiary Primary: 
Patient’s Psyche improved.
Secondary: Symptom Sympathy for patient.
Tertiary: Therapist’s gain.

Depression: major episode characteristics SPACE DIGS:
Sleep disruption
Psychomotor retardation
Appetite change
Concentration loss
Energy loss
Depressed mood
Interest wanes
Guilt
Suicidal tendencies

AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC): features AIDS:
Atrophy of cortex
Infection/ Inflammation
Demyelination
Six months death

Kubler-Ross dying process: stages “Death Always
Brings Great Acceptance”:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Grieving
Acceptance

Depression: symptoms BAD CRISES:
Behavioural change (slowing down or agitation)
Appetite change (weight loss or weight gain in the young)
Depressed look (looking down)
Concentration decrease (does not do serial 7s well)
Ruminations (constant negative thoughts, hopelessness good indicator of
suicidality)
Interest (reduced interest in what is normally pleasurable)
Sleep change (insomnia or hypersomnia, sleeping early, waking up at
night, waking up feeling tired)
Energy change (fatigue)
Suicide

Yalom’s therapeutic factors ICU CAGES:
I still hope (installation of hope)
I‘m part of information (imparting information)
Imitate behavior
Interpersonal learning
Corrective recapitulation of primary
Universality
Catharsis
Altruism
Group cohesiveness (glue)
Existential factors
Socializing techniques development

Mania: cardinal symptoms DIG FAST:
Distractibility
Indiscretion (DSM-IV’s “excessive involvement in pleasurable activities”)
Grandiosity
Flight of ideas
Activity increase
Sleep deficit (decreased need for sleep)
Talkativeness (pressured speech)

Depression criteria/symptoms A SAD FACES:
Appetite, weight changes
Sleep changes
Anhedonia
Dysphoria (low mood)
Fatigue
Agitation (psychomotor)
Concentration
Esteem
Suicide

Mania: diagnostic criteria Must have 3 of MANIAC:
Mouth (pressure of speech)/ Moodl
Activity increased
Naughty (disinhibition)
Insomnia
Attention (distractability)
Confidence (grandiose ideas)

Neuroleptic side effects onset The rule of 4’s:
Dystonia: 4 hours-4 days
Akathesia: 4 days-40 days
Extrapyramidal symptoms: 4 days-4 weeks
Tardive dyskinesia: 4 months (greater than)
· Note that tardive is obviously the latest one to happen (tardive=tardy/late).
· Note that the first letters of these four classic symptoms spell “DATE”, and
this mnemonic is the dates when they occur.

Anxiety disorders: physical illnesses mimicking them “Physical
Health Hazards That Appear Panciky”:
Phaeochromocytoma
Hyperthyroidism
Hypoglycaemia
Temporal lobe epilepsy
Alcohol
Paroxysmal arrhythmias

Ganser syndrome: key diagnostic feature The word “Ganser”
is close to but not quite the word “Answer“.
Ganser’s syndrome is when patient gives an answer that is close to, but not
quite. For example 2+2=5.

Conversion disorder: etiology Conversion disorder: 
convert a conflict to a symptom.

Hallucinations: hypnogogic vs. hypnopompic definition “Hypnogogic
= go to sleep”:
Hypnogogic hallucinations arise when go to sleep, hypnopompic arise when awaken.

Depression: major depression criteria DEAD SWAMP:
Depressed mood most of the day
Energy loss or fatigue
Anhedonia
Death thoughts (recurrent), suicidal ideation or attempts
Sleep disturbances (insomnia, hypersomnia)
Worthlessness or excessive guilt
Appetite or weight change
Mentation decreased (ability to think or concentrate, indecisiveness)
Psychomotor agitation or retardation

Schizophrenia: negative features 4 A’s:
Ambivalence
Affective incongruence
Associative loosening
Autism

Conduct disorder vs. Antisocial personality disorder Conduct
disorder is seen in Children.
Antisocial personality disorder is seen in Adults.

Depression: symptoms and signs (DSM-IV criteria) AWESOME:
Affect flat
Weight change (loss or gain)
Energy, loss of
Sad feelings/ Suicide thoughts or plans or attempts/ Sexual
inhibition/ Sleep change (loss or excess)/ Social withdrawal
Others (guilt, loss of pleasure, hopeless)
Memory loss
Emotional blunting

Biological symptoms in psychiatry SCALED:
Sleep disturbance
Concentration
Appetite
Libido
Energy
Diurnal mood variation

Psychiatric review of symptoms “Depressed Patients
Seem Anxious, So Claim Psychiatrists”:
Depression and other mood disorders (major depression, bipolar disorder,
dysthymia)
Personality disorders (primarily borderline personality disorder)
Substance abuse disorders
Anxiety disorders (panic disorder with agoraphobia, obssessive-compulsive
disorder)
Somatization disorder, eating disorders (these two disorders are combined
because both involve disorders of bodily perception)
Cognitive disorders (dementia, delirium)
Psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, delusional disorder and psychosis
accompanying depression, substance abuse or dementia)

Depression UNHAPPINESS:
Understandable (such as bereavement, major stresses)
Neurotic (high anxiety personalities, negative parental upbringing
Hypochondriasis
Agitation (usually organic causes such as dementia
Pseudodementia
Pain
Importuniing (whingeing, complaining)
Nihilistic
Endogenous
Secondary (ie cancer at the head of the pancreas, bronchogenic cancer)
Syndromal

Depression: melancholic features (DSM IV) MELANcholic:
Morning worsening of symptoms/ psychoMotor agitation, retardation/
early Morning wakening
Excessive guilt
Loss of emotional reactivity
ANorexia/ ANhedonia