4th November 2020

A 26-year-old man attends a GP appointment. He has been feeling very low in mood (2)

A 26-year-old man attends a GP appointment. He has been feeling very low in mood and energy for the past few weeks and is finding it increasingly hard to get out of bed in the morning. He tells you that he has been “comfort eating” – binging lots of crisps – and has gained some weight as a result, which has been making him feel guilty and even worse. This has been a recurrent problem for him for the past few years – he tends to get very miserable when the “nights draw in” in the winter, and this feeling lasts for a few months. When the weather gets brighter again, he enjoys going out for a run, which always makes him feel more cheerful. 

Which feature from this case is the key diagnostic clue, and what is, therefore, the subsequent diagnosis?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.