Major depressive disorder -the answer is b. this patient is most likely to have major depressive disorder. evidence for this is that he has lost interest in his usual activities, wakes up too early in the morning, has vague physical symptoms, shows diurnal variation in symptoms (worse in the morning), has lost a significant amount of weight, and is showing suicidal ideation (e.g., maybe my family would be better off without me). also, his symptoms have been present for a discrete, identified amount of time. dysthymic disorder involves mild or moderate depression most of the time, occurring over a 2-year period with no discrete episodes of illness. bipolar disorder involves episodes of both mania and depression. cyclothymic disorder involves episodes of hypomania and dysthymia occurring over a 2-year period with no discrete episodes of illness. in hypochondriasis, patients believe that normal body functions or minor illnesses are serious or life threatening. people who are malingering fabricate symptoms for obvious gain (e.g., to win a lawsuit).
