depression Flashcards
what is depression?
a mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
what are the behavioural characteristics of depression?
reduced activity levels- lethargic, knock-on effect with work social life etc., extreme- cannot leave bed
(or psychomotor agitation)
disruption to sleep and eating behaviour- insomnia or hypersomnia, increased or decreased appetite
aggression and self-harm- irritable- verbally/physically aggressive, knock-on effects (e.g. quit job), physical aggression at self (e.g. self-harm)
what are the emotional characteristics of depression?
lowered mood- feeling sad, more pronounced than daily experiences of this, ‘worthless’/’empty’
anger- sometimes extreme, towards self or others, can lead to aggressive behaviour
lowered self-esteem- dislike themselves, can be extreme- self-loathing
what are the cognitive characteristics of depression?
poor concentration- unable to stick with tasks or make simple decisions, interferes with work
attending to and dwelling on the negative- ignore positives in favour of negatives of situations, glass half empty, bias towards recalling unhappy events
absolutist thinking- unfortunate situation is an ‘absolute disaster’
