Depression Flashcards
Depression causes people to have
Depressed mood, loss of interest, feelings of guilt or low self worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor coordination
Behavioural characteristics of depression
- Activity levels
- Disruption to sleep/eating
- Aggression and self harm
Emotional characteristics of depression
- Lowered mood
- Anger
- Lowered self esteem
Cognitive characteristics of depression
- Poor concentration
- Dwelling on the negative
- Absolutist thinking
The cognitive approach looks at …. To explain why people suffer with depression
People’s cognitions (thoughts/perceptions/beliefs)
Becks theory of depression
People more likely to suffer with depression if they have a cognitive vulnerability
3 factors needed to be cognitively vulnerable
- Faulty thought processing
- Negative self schema
- Negative triad
- Faulty thought processing
The way in which a person thinks is flawed, causing depression
Catastrophising
Dwelling on the worst possible outcome
Overgeneralisation
Sweeping conclusions based on one single event
Schema
Packages of information based beliefs we have developed through experiences
- Negative self schema
The way in which they perceive themselves is very negative
- Negative triad
Negative view of oneself, negative view of the future, negative view of the world
Ellis’s ABC model
Depression due to irrational thinking
- Activating event
Ellis argued there had to be an activating event that people experienced in order to trigger their irrational beliefs
- Beliefs
Once activating event has occurred, it causes the irrational beliefs to develop
Types of irrational beliefs
- the idea that we must always be perfect is irrational
- when people think something is a total disaster if it doesn’t go to plan
- Consequence
When external event triggers irrational beliefs, there are always emotional and behavioural consequences. Consequence is depression.
Strengths of cog approach to explaining depression
Supported by research
P: the theories are supported by research
E: one study assessed 65 pregnant women before and after birth. Women that had high levels of cognitive vulnerability were more likely to suffer with depression after birth
C: having cognitive vulnerability increases risk of suffering with depression
Strengths of cog approach to explaining depression
Developed treatments
P: useful in the development of treatments
E: CBT and REBT. Both aim to address irrational thought process thought to cause depression
C: improves quality of life
Limitations of cog approach to explaining depression
Reductionist
P: the explanation is reductionist
E: cog approach argues people suffer with depression due to irrational thoughts. The humanistic approach would look at all causes eg trauma, genetics
C: limits understanding of depression
Limitations of cog approach to explaining depression
Cause or consequence
P: cog approach fails to explain whether irrational thoughts are a cause or consequence of depression
E: psychologists unsure if someone has always had irrational thoughts or they developed depression and as a consequence changed their thought process
C: limits understanding of behaviour especially depression
