depression

Question 1

dsm-5 categories of depression

Answer 1

major depressive disorder - severe but often short-term depression

persistent depressive disorder - long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression and what used to be called dysthymia

disruptive mood disregulation disorder - childhood temper tantrums

premenstrual dysphoric disorder - disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation

Question 2

behavioural characteristics of depression - activity levels

Answer 2

• typically, people with depression have reduced levels of energy, making them lethargic
• this then has a knock on effect, people tend to withdraw from work, education and social life
• this can even be so severe that the person cannot get out of bed
• sometimes depression can have the opposite effect (psychomotor agitation), people struggle to relax and may end up pacing up and down a room

Question 3

behavioural characteristics of depression - disruption to sleep and eating behaviour

Answer 3

• someone may experience reduced sleep (insomnia), premature waking or an increased need for sleep (hypersomnia)
• appetite and eating may increase or decrease, leading to weight gain or loss

Question 4

behavioural characteristics of depression - aggression and self-harm

Answer 4

• people are often irritable and can become verbally or physically aggressive, this can have knock-on effects on a number of aspects
• can also lead to physical aggression directed against the self, including self harm in the form of cutting or suicide attempts

Question 5

emotional characteristics of depression - lowered mood

Answer 5

• lowered mood is more pronounced than in the daily experience of feeling lethargic and sad
• people often describe themselves as worthless or empty

Question 6

emotional characteristics of depression - anger

Answer 6

• people will often experience anger, sometimes extreme
• this can be directed at the self or at others
• such emotions often lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour

Question 7

emotional characteristics of depression - lowered self-esteem

Answer 7

• self-esteem is the emotional experience of how much we like ourselves
• people with depression tend to report reduced self-esteem, they like themselves less than usual
• this can be quite extreme, some people describe a sense of self-loathing

Question 8

cognitive characteristics of depression - poor concentration

Answer 8

• associated with poor levels of concentration
• may find it hard to stick with a task or to make decisions that would usually be straightforward
• likely to interfere with the individual’s work

Question 9

cognitive characteristics of depression - attending to and dwelling on the negative

Answer 9

• people are inclined to pay more attention to the negative aspects of a situation
• tend to see the glass half empty instead of half full
• also will have a bias towards recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones, the opposite to other people

Question 10

cognitive characteristics of depression - absolutist thinking

Answer 10

• people will tend to think that a situation is either all-good or all-bad (black and white thinking)
• when a situation is unfortunate they will often see it as an absolute disaster