Depression

Question 1

What is depression?

Answer 1

A mental disorder characterised by low mood and energy levels

Question 2

What are some behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

Activity levels - reduced or sometimes increased energy levels
Sleep + eating - reduced sleep or increased need for sleep (insomnia/hyperomnia)
- eating also may increase/decrease, resulting in weight gain/loss
Aggression + self harm - can become verbally or physically aggressive towards others, or physical aggression to oneself

Question 3

What are some emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

Lower mood - experiencing extreme levels of sadness
Anger - sometimes experiencing extreme feelings of anger directed at others or themselves
Lowered self esteem - tendency to have an incredibly low self esteem where they like themselves less than usual; feelings of worthlessness + emptiness

Question 4

What are some cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 4

Poor concentration - inability to focus; poor decision making
**Negative bias ** - paying more attention to negative aspects than positive ones; recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones
Absolutist thinking - all or nothing thinking where events are perceived to be either absolutely amazing or awful
-when a situation is unfortunate sufferers see it as an absolute disaster

Question 5

How does the cognitive approach explain depression?

Answer 5

It emphasises the role of internal mental processes and how these influence our behaviour. The cognitive approach mainly assumes depression as a result of a disturbance in thinking

Question 6

What is the ABC model?

Answer 6

• developed by Ellis to explain individual responses to negative events, focusing on role of irrational beliefs in depression

Question 7

Describe the steps of the ABC model

Answer 7

Activating event - the adversity or event that causes a reaction
Belief - the thought about why the situation occurred
Consequences - cognitions, émotions and behaviours caused by the belief

Question 8

What is the Negative Triad?

Answer 8

Developed by Beck suggesting that some people are more vulnerable to depression than others based on faulty information processing.
He also suggests those with depression developed negative self schemas in childhood

Question 9

Describe the negative triad

Answer 9

Negative views about self -> negative views about future -> negative views about world

Question 10

What are some of the biases in information processing?

Answer 10

SPAMM
- selective perception
- minimisation
- personalisation
- absolutist thinking
- magnification
- overgeneralisation

Question 11

What are self-schemas?

Answer 11

Long lasting clusters of information we generate about our own identity

Question 12

What is the cognitive approach to treating depression?

Answer 12

It led to the development of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which aims to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with healthy ones – it is a highly structured program involving 1:1 sessions with therapists

Question 13

Describe the steps used in CBT

Answer 13

1 the therapist first gets the client to recognise their irrational thoughts
2 the therapist then gets the client to provide evidence of events in their life that the therapist uses to challenge these thoughts
3 the therapist sets homework encouraging the client to engage in reality testing, where they compare their negative thinking to the real world -> they are taught to be objective
4 the therapist gets the client to write diary entries to identify situations in which neg. thinking occurs

Question 14

What are the strengths of CBT?

Answer 14

+ Research support
- March compared CBT with drug therapy —> found that after 36 weeks CBT is as effective as drug therapy (81% improvement) + was more effective in reducing suicidal thoughts + attempts
- however drug therapy more effective short term
- suggests it is an effective treatment
+ Real world application
- highly structured nature means it can be provided in groups, in books, online, etc.
- enables patients to access treatment that suits their schedule = more likely to attend
- however attending regular sessions + doing homework is time consuming/committed —> many end up dropping out

Question 15

What is a weakness of CBT?

Answer 15

— Not universal
- it can be argued that CBT simply teaches one to deal w depression rather than getting to the root
- some argue psychoanalysis which addresses childhood trauma is more appropriate
-suggests CBT cannot be universally applied

Question 16

What is REBT therapy?

Answer 16

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
- developed by Ellis
- adds to ABC model - D = disputing to challenge irrational beliefs -E = effective nez beliefs to replace irrational ones

Question 17

What are key aspects of CBT?

Answer 17

• practical - help identify + solve problems
• highly structured - client + therapist discuss specific problems and set goals
• focused on current problems
• collaborative - working WITH the therapist to find solutions

Question 18

What are strengths of the cognitive approach to explaining depression?

Answer 18

+ Research support
- 65 pregnant women tested for cognitive vulnerability, those more vulnerable were more likely to suffer from post-natal depression
- shows faulty information processing are a factor in depression
-however doesn’t show cause and effect relationship, may be other factors
+Real world application
- led to CBT which is found to be the leading treatment for depression
- it has helped people, suggesting faulty thinking must play a part in depression

Question 19

What is a limitation of the cognitive approach to explaining depression?

Answer 19

— Fails to consider
- fails to consider other factors such as biology —> evidence shows serotonin is low in depressed patients
- cognitive approach does not explain this relationship : does faulty thinking cause low serotonin or vice versa?
-another model considering both factors may be more appropriate