characteristics of depression Flashcards
Depression
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
DSM-5 categories of depression
All characterised by changes of mood
Different forms of depression
All recognised by DSM
- Major depressive disorder - severe but often short-term depression
- Persistent depressive disorder - long-term or recurring depression
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - childhood temper tantrums
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder - disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation
Behavioural
Ways in which people act
B - Activity levels
Changes to usual activity levels
Often reduced energy levels making them lethargic
Some have opposite effect - psychomotor agitation - struggle to relax
B - Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
Changes to sleep behaviour eg insomnia or hypersomnia
Appetite and eating may increase or decrease
B - Aggression and SH
Irritable and sometimes verbally or physically abusive
Physical aggressive towards self eg self-harm
Emotional
Related to a person’s feelings or mood
E - Lowered mood
Emotional element of depression
More pronounced than in the daily kind of experience
Feelings of worthlessness and emptiness
E - Anger
Frequent experiences of anger
Directed towards self and others
E - Lowered self-esteem
Reduced self-esteem
Can be quite extreme - self-loathing
Cognitive
Refers to the process of knowing, including thinking, reasoning, remembering, believing
C - Poor concentration
Hard to stick to a task they usually would
Hard to make decisions
Interfere with work
C - Attending to and dwelling on the negative
Pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation
Bias towards recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones
C - Absolutist thinking
Black and white thinking
Absolute disaster
