Depression

Question 1

DSM-5 catergories of depression

Depression

Answer 1

All forms of depression and depressive disorders are characterised by changes to mood

Major depressive disorder - severe but often short-term depression
Persistent depressive disorder - long-term or recurring depression
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - childhood temper tantrums
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder - disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation

Question 2

Activity levels

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 2

Typically people w/ depression have reduced levels of energy
Has knock-on effect, with people withdrawing from work, education and social life
In extreme cases person cannot get out of bed
In some cases can cause opposite effect (psychmotor agitation) - struggle to relax and may pace up and down a room

Question 3

Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 3

Depression is associated w/ changes to sleep behaviour
A person may experience insomnia, premature waking or increased need for sleep
Appetite & eating may increase or decrease leading to weight gain or loss

Question 4

Aggression & self-harm

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 4

Peopl w/ depression are irritable and can become verbally or phsyically aggressive
Can have knock-on effects on a number of aspects of their life
Depression can also lead to physical aggression directed against the self
This includes self-harm (often in form of cutting) or suicide attempts

Question 5

Lowered mood

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 5

Defining emotional element of depression
People w/ depression often describe themselves as worthless or empty

Question 6

Anger

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 6

People w/ depression frequently experience anger which can be directed at the self or others
Such emotions can lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour

Question 7

Lowered self-esteem

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 7

Self-esteem is emotional experience of how much we like ourselves
People w/ depression tend to report reduced self-esteem
This can be extreme w/ some people w/ depression describing a sense of self-loathing

Question 8

Poor concentration

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 8

Depression is associated w/ poor levels of concentration
Person may find themselves unable to stick w/ a task as they usually would
They may struggle making decisions they normally find straightforward
Poor concentration & poor decision making are likely to interfere w/ individual’s work

Question 9

Attending to and dwelling on the negative

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 9

When experiencing a depressive episode people are inclinded to pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation & ignore the positives
People w/ depression have bias toward recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones

Question 10

Absolutist thinking

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 10

Most situations are not all-good or all-bad but a depressed person will think in these terms
Means that when a situation is unfortunate they tend to see it as an absolute disaster