Characteristics of Depression Flashcards
Behavioural characteristics of depression
-Activity levels
-Disruption to sleep and eating behavior
-Aggression and self harm
What are the typical activity levels of people with depression?
Reduced activity levels, leading to withdrawal from work, education, and social life
In extreme cases, individuals may be unable to get out of bed.
What is psychomotor agitation in the context of depression?
A condition where agitated individuals struggle to relax and may pace up and down a room
This contrasts with the typical withdrawal seen in depression.
What are common disruptions to sleep associated with depression?
Insomnia (reduced sleep) or hypersomnia (increased need for sleep)
Insomnia often manifests as premature waking.
How can depression affect appetite and eating behavior?
Appetite may increase or decrease, leading to weight gain or loss
Such changes are a key indicator of disrupted behavior due to depression.
What types of aggression are associated with depression?
Verbal aggression and physical aggression directed against oneself
Physical aggression may manifest as self-harm or suicide attempts.
Fill in the blank: People with depression often become _______.
irritable
What are the potential consequences of verbal aggression in someone with depression?
Ending relationships or quitting jobs
These actions can have serious knock-on effects on various aspects of their life.
True or False: Depression can only lead to reduced activity levels.
False
It can also lead to psychomotor agitation, which involves increased activity.
Emotional characteristics of depression
-Lowered mood
-Anger
-Lowered self esteem
What is a defining emotional element of depression?
Lowered mood
This refers to feeling sad and is more pronounced than everyday feelings of lethargy and sadness.
How do people with depression often describe their feelings?
‘Worthless’ and ‘empty’
These terms reflect a deeper emotional experience associated with clinical depression.
Do people with depression only experience sadness?
False
People with depression also frequently experience anger, sometimes extreme anger.
What type of emotions do people with depression tend to experience more of?
Negative emotions
This includes feelings of sadness and anger.
What can extreme anger in depressed individuals lead to?
Aggressive or self-harming behavior
This highlights the behavioral characteristics associated with depression.
What is self-esteem in the context of emotional experience?
The emotional experience of how much we like ourselves
Self-esteem plays a significant role in mental health.
How does depression affect self-esteem?
It tends to reduce self-esteem
Some individuals may experience extreme self-loathing.
Fill in the blank: People with depression often describe their self-esteem as _______.
reduced
This indicates that they like themselves less than usual.
Cognitive characteristics of depression
-Poor concentration
-Attending to and dwelling on the negative
-Absolutist thinking
What cognitive characteristic of depression affects concentration?
Poor concentration
Individuals may struggle to stick with tasks and make decisions they usually find straightforward.
How do people with depression typically process information?
They process information differently, focusing more on negative aspects and ignoring positives
This leads to a bias towards recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones.
What is the term for thinking that categorizes situations as entirely good or entirely bad?
Absolutist thinking
This is also known as ‘black-and-white thinking.’
Fill in the blank: People with depression tend to see a glass as _______.
half-empty
What is a common cognitive bias experienced by those with depression?
Attending to and dwelling on the negative
This bias leads to an emphasis on negative aspects of situations.
True or False: Individuals without depression generally recall unhappy events more than happy ones.
False
Most people without depression have the opposite bias.
