abnormal

Question 1

negative schema in Beck’s Theory

Answer 1

argued to develop because of family problems, poor school experiences, depression within close people. Types:
- ineptness schema
- self-blame schema
- negative self-evaluation schema

Question 2

6 Irrational thinking/errors in logic (Beck)

Answer 2

1. selective abstraction
2. magnification
3. minimization
4. overgeneralization
5. personalization
6. arbitrary inference

Question 3

selective abstraction

Answer 3

e.g. fixation on one awkward exchange in a day

Question 4

magnification

Answer 4

e.g. bad mark really weighing someone down

Question 5

minimization

Answer 5

e.g. not recognizing the good marks you’ve gotten in past tests as an indicator of your academic ability

Question 6

overgeneralization

Answer 6

e.g. i failed this test therefore im going to fail the course and become homeless

Question 7

personalization

Answer 7

e.g. blaming yourself for your sisters death even though its not ur fault

Question 8

abstract inferences

Answer 8

e.g. ‘everyone hates me’ or ‘im going to fail the exam’ before taking the exam

Question 9

Behaviourism

Answer 9

stresses the importance of the environment in shaping a person, and its role in depression development

1. classical conditioning
   associating specific stimuli with negative emotions
2. operant conditioning
   removal of positive reinforcement contributes to depression
3. social learning theory
   states behaviour can be learned indirectly through the actions and responses of other people

doesn’t take into account influence of thoughts on ones mood

Question 10

alloy et al

Answer 10

in this longitudinal study, people were tested and placed in a “positive” or “negative” thinking group. After 6 years, the negative thinking group had higher rates of depression, indicating a correlation between cognition and depression development.

Question 11

seligman

Answer 11

learned helplessness

dogs electrocuted in a place unable to escape learned to not even try to escape anymore, even if it became possible. also lethargy, passiveness, appetite loss, and other depression symptoms were exhibited.

Question 12

Humanist approach

Answer 12

human needs are unique, and anything that ultimately blocks self-actualization contributes to depression development

Question 13

common antidepressants

Answer 13

tricyclics: antidepressants, often used to treat MDD

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: Commonly prescribed antidepressants used to treat MDD, psychological conditions, and anxiety.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors: Effective antidepressants that biologically target one or both monoamine oxidase enzymes, namely monoamine oxidase A and B. Prescribed especially for atypical depression and treatment-resistant depression.

Question 14

advantages of biological treatments

Answer 14

• patients with severe depression can get relief from symptoms, allowing for psychological treatments to provide long-term solutions
• drug treatments have allowed for out-patient care and decreases in institutionalization
• not dependent on language abilities, language can be a barrier for psychotherapy

Question 15

disadvantages of biological treatments

Answer 15

• not all patients respond to the medications
• possibility of harmful, unintended side effects
• medication treats symptoms but often will not get to the root of the problem. The relief ignores important psychological or social factors necessary to holistically overcome the disorder
• may lead to discontinuation syndrome, aka withdrawal symptoms from prescribed drugs
• high relapse rates for patients that receive drug treatments without psychotherapy

Question 16

advantages of psychological treatments

Answer 16

• CBT clients reported lower relapse rates than biological treatments, shown in Rush et al.
• Individualized therapy can focus more personally and specifically on the client, unlike the generic treatment that is drug therapy
• Supportive system and human relationship built that is often absent in drug therapy

Question 17

Disadvantages of psychological treatments

Answer 17

• Elkin et al found no difference in the effectiveness of CBT and drug treatment
• CBT does not address past experiences of client or potential biological natures of the disorder. Only focuses on the present, per se.
• Take a lot of time, practicality problems
• ethical concerns, like with therapists rationalizing/judging patients’ suffering
• cross-cultural application of therapy is not yet determined

CBT = cognitive behavioural therapy

Question 18

what is cbt

Answer 18

therapists aim to change negative thought patterns, blending cognitive and behavioural therapy. treats depression. Using Beck’s argument, a pioneer in cognitive therapy, he argues that it is not the specific event that are the problem but rather one’s reaction/interpretation of the situation that leads to neuroses.

• identify and change bad thinking patterns and behaviours
• develop effective coping strategies and a problem-solving mindset and toolkit

general approach involved guiding patients through structured learning experiences
through
- journaling
- monitoring their associating with their thoughts, feelings, physiology

Question 19

elkin et al

Answer 19

sample: patients with MDD from 3 different treatment centers in the US, and exluded if they had any disorder in addition to their MDD

procedure: after informed consent, participants were randomly allocated to treatment conditions: IPT, CBT, biological treatment (imipramine) or a placebo pill. With the use of therapists conducting weekly session, over the course of 16 weeks. Those under the biological condition were also provided with clinical management, ie minimal psychological therapy due to ethical concerns regarding their health and the need for therapy to them. A large variety of close assessments, boiling down to symptoms, life functioning, functioning related to their treatment. Assessments were conducted with the therapist, client, and often close family members to increase validity.

results: no significant differences in the reduction of MDD or improvement of functioning between CBT, IPT, or imipramine, i.e. all succeeded in equal degrees, and often superior to the placebo group.
biological treatment was faster in reducing depressive symptoms, however patients in IPT or CBT reported greater psychological/behavioural benefits from the treatment, like understanding sources of depression. by the end they had all evened out to the same outcome. the outcomes were influenced by the initial severity.

After the 18 month follow up session, 20-30 percent were completely asymptomatic, regardless of the treatment they got. CBT/IPT treated people reported better interpersonal skills and mental adaptations to recognize unhealthy depression sources that helped them to overcome their illnesses

Question 20

riggs et al

Answer 20

aim: study the effectiveness of CBT in combination with placebos or SSRIs

sample: adolescents with depression

procedure: double blind study that found those allocated with CBT + placebo / CBT + ssri had often “very much / much improved.” after 4 months of treatment. Concluded that both are effective, but the use of placebo is almost as effective as with an actual antidepressant. self-reports also highlighted depression/other behavioural problems had decreased. also concluded that treatments start psychologically (CBT), and if needed biological intervention can be added.

Question 21

IPT

Answer 21

Helps patients become aware of their interpersonal behaviour that could prevent them from attaining pleasure from their relationships. Focuses on effective social skills and their current life situation. eg a patient could work on their communication to increase social satisfaction. IPT can take the form of discussions regarding patients interpersonal concerns, improvement of verbal/nonverbal communication, encouragement/exploration of negative emotion expression.

Question 22

elkin et al eval

Answer 22

33% of imipramine patients had dropped out before the study ended, This high attrition rate was not seen in the other treatments.

The 3 sites had different results. For example, CBT did as well as imipramine, and at another site IPT would do as well as imipramine, not necessarily for all sites.

By excluding those with other conditions, such as alcoholism, the demographic they conducted the study on may not be representative of the MDD community, who often to tackle more than one issue at a time. Potentially lacks generalizability

Comparison of the treatments is not always fair, some treatments stress the process rather than the outcome.

data triangulation from receiving information from patient therapist and close member.