Characteristics of Depression Flashcards
Name 4 types of depression.
Major depressive disorder
Persistent depressive disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
What is major depressive disorder?
Severe short term depression
What is persistent depressive disorder?
Long term, reoccurring depression
What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder?
Disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation.
What is disruptive mood dysregulation disorder?
Childhood temper tantrums
Name 3 behavioural characteristics of depression.
Low activity
Eating and sleep disruption
Aggression and self harm
Explain what low activity levels are and give examples. Explain how this disrupts daily life.
Depressed people have low energy levels, causing then to withdraw from daily life. Some people struggle to get out of bed, while others struggle to relax.
What is the term for when depressed people struggle to relax?
Psychomotor agitation.
Explain how depression can lead to changes in eating/sleep.
Depression causes insomnia or hypersomnia.
It may cause you to eat too much or too little resulting in weight gain or loss.
Explain how depressed people channel their aggression.
They may direct it to the self in self harm
Name 3 emotional characteristics of depression.
Low mood
Anger
Low self esteem
What is low mood?
Feelings of worthlessness and emptiness
What is low self esteem?
A feeling of strong hatred towards the self.
Name 3 cognitive characteristics of depression?
Poor concentration
Dwelling on the negative
Absolutist thinking
What is ‘dwelling on the negative’?
People pay attention to the negative side of things and don’t see the positives. When recalling memories, they may only recall negative ones.
