DISPELLING THE CONFUSION: DIFFERENTIATING PBA FROM DEPRESSION

PBA can look like a lot of other conditions, so it can be difficult to diagnose. In fact, it is often disguised, misinterpreted, and mistaken for depression.

According to the Mayo Clinic, PBA differs from depression in that “PBA episodes tend to be short in duration, while depression causes a persistent feeling of sadness. Also, people with PBA often lack certain features of depression, such as sleep disturbances or a loss of appetite.”¹

IS IT DEPRESSION OR PBA?

Here are a few ways to tell the difference between depression or PBA:

• How long do the individual’s crying episodes last? With PBA, it is seconds to minutes; with depression, feelings of sadness can last for weeks or months
• How is the individual behaving? With PBA, behavior does not change; with depression, a person can seem fatigued, agitated, or apathetic
• Is the person seeing things clearly? With PBA, there is no misperception; depression can cause one to have a distorted or negative view of him or herself, others, and the future

¹ Pruthi S, Ed. Pseudobulbar affect. Accessed on 08/10/2022 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudobulbar-affect/symptoms-causes/syc-20353737.
Questions adapted from Strokewise.com (http://www.strokewise.info/2009/10/emotional-lability.html)