Depresion Explanations

Question 1

Monoamine hypothesis

Answer 1

• Serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine regulate mood
• Serotonin- regulates other NTs so low serotonin leads to low levels of everything else
• Without regulation erratic brain functioning
• Low levels of S lead to low levels or Nora (alertness, energy, attention)
• Low levels of DA relate to alertness, motivation, attention - low levels linked w/ depression
  Low levels of monoamines linked with re-uptake - recapture before reach receptor sites

Question 2

Evaluation of MH

Answer 2

E - kraft - 96 patients web depression treated for 6 weeks on SSRI and showed positive response compared to placebo
- Bunney and Davis - lower levels in urine of depressed people
- Delgado - environmental trigger - given special diet that lowered tryptophan- 67% showed increased levels of symptoms compared to those who weren’t on the diet
A - antidepressants
S - reductionist
- But reductionist good
- Can’t establish cause and effect

Question 3

Cognitive explanations

Answer 3

• Negative thinking patterns lead to depression
• Faulty schemas or traumatic life events
  Becks negative triad
• Self blame, overemphasis of negatives, pessimistic view on life
• Negative view of present ~> negative view of future ~> negative view on oneself
  Seligams learned helplessness
• By telling yourself that you are unable to do something you will then not be able to do anything - the dogs didn’t even try to move away from shocks as believe they couldn’t despite being able to

Question 4

Evaluation (cognitive)

Answer 4

E - Perez - depressed patients more likely to pick the negative stimuli compared to others
- Seligams learned helplessness
A - CBT
S - doesn’t highlight origins
- Can’t establish cause and effect
- See humans as mechanistic
- Supported by animals studies - the dogs were trained to not leave in the first place so could’ve been a product of their training