depression Flashcards
depression definition
a mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
behavioural definition
ways in which people act
emotional definition
related to a person’s feelings or mood
cognitive definition
refers to the process of knowing, including thinking, reasoning, remembering, believing
what does DSM characterise depression by
changes in mood
what are the DSM categories for depression and depressive disorders
-major depressive disorder- severe but often short-term
-persistent depressive disorder - long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression and what used to be called dysthymia
-disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - childhood temper tantrums
-premenstrual dysphoric disorder - disruption to mood to and/or during menstruation
what is DSM category of depression- major depressive order
severe but often short-term
what is DSM category of depression - persistent depressive disorder
long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression and what used to be called dysthymia
what is DSM category of depression -disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
childhood temper tantrums
what is premenstrual dysphoric disorder
disruption to mood prior and/or during menstruation
what re the 3 ways of characterising depression
-behavioural
-cognitive
-emotional
behaviour during depression
behaviour changes when we experience an episode of depression
3 behavioural characteristics of depression
-activity levels
-disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
-aggression and self-harm
what are activity levels as a behavioural characteristic of depression
typically people with depression have reduced energy levels, making them lethargic. this has a knock of effect with people withdrawing form work, education and social life. in extreme cases this can be so severe the person cannot get out of bed. in some cases depression can lead to opposite effect - known as psychomotor agitation. agitated individuals struggle to relax and may end up pacing up and down a room
what is disruption to sleep and eating behaviour as a behavioural characteristic of depression
depression is associated with changing sleep behaviour. a person may experience insomnia (reduced sleep) particularly by prematurely waking, or hypersomnia (an increased need for sleep). appetite may increase or decrease which leads to weight gain or loss, so these behaviours are disrupted by depression
what is aggression and self-harm as a behavioural characteristic of depression
people with depression are often irritable and in some cases may become verbally or physically aggressive. this can have serious knock on effects on a number of aspects of their life. for example they may display verbal aggression by ending a relationship or quitting a job. depression can lead to physical aggression directed against the self. this includes self-harm often in the form of cutting or suicide attempts
what are 3 emotional characteristics of depression
-lowered mood
-anger
-lowered self-esteem
what is lowered mood as a emotional characteristic of depression
when the word depressed is used in everyday life they usually describe having a lowered mood. however, there is more to clinical depression than this. lowered mood is still a defining emotional element of but is still more pronounced than the daily kind of of experience of feeling lethargic and sad. people with depression are often describe themselves as worthless and empty
what is anger as an emotional characteristic of despression
although people with depression tend to experience more negative emotions and fewer positive ones during episodes of depression, but the negative emotion is not just limited to sadness. people with depression frequently experience anger (sometimes extreme anger). this can be directed at the self or others. on occasion such emotions can lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
what is lowered self esteem as an emotional characteristic of depression
self-esteem is the emotional experience of how much we like ourselves. people with depression tend to report reduced self esteem so like themselves less than usual. this can be extreme with some people describing a sense of self-loathing such as hating themselves
what are 3 cognitive characteristics of depression
-poor concentration
-attending to and dwelling on the negative
-absolute thinking
what is the cognitive aspect of depression concerned with
the ways in which people process information. people with depression or have experienced depression tend to process information about several aspects of the world quite differently form normal people without depression think
what is poor concentration as a cognitive characteristic of depression
depression is associated with poor levels of concentration. they person may find themselves unable to stick with tasks as they normally would, or find it hard to make decisions that they would normally find straightforward. poor concentration and decision making are likely to interfere with the individuals work
what are attending to and dwelling on the negative as cognitive characteristics of depression
when experiencing a depressive episode people are inclined to pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives (see glass half empty). people with depression often have bias to recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones which is the opposite bias to most people that aren’t depressed
what is absolute thinking as a cognitive characteristic of depression
most situations are not all good or all bad, but when a person is depressed they tend to think in these terms. this is sometimes called black and white thinking. this means that when a situation is unfortunate they tend to see it as an absolute disaster
