Depression Flashcards
What are the behavioural characteristics of depression
Reduced activity levels, disrupted sleeping and eating, aggressive acts
What is reduced activity levels
People feel lethargic and struggle to get out of bed.
What is aggressive acts
Self-harming
What is a disrupted eating and sleeping schedule
Reduced or increased sleep (hypersomnia and insomnia) or appetite.
What are the emotional characteristics of depression
Anger, Lowered self-esteem, lowered mood.
What is anger
Anger at self that leads to self harm
What is lowered self-esteem
The person likes themselves less (self-loathing)
What is lowered mood
People describe themselves as worthless and empty
What are the cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration, absolutist thinking, attending the negatives
What is poor concentration
The person finds it difficult to stick with a task or finds decision making difficult.
What is absolutist thinking
When a situation is unfortunate, it seems like a disaster
What is attending the negatives
A bias towards focusing on negative aspects of situations
What are cognitions
Internal and private thought processes
What are examples of cognitions
Memory, logic, humour, concentration
What is a schema
A cognitive shortcut
Due to the cognitive approach, what causes depression
Negative and irrational thoughts
What 3 things are depression due to according to Beck
Faulty information processing, negative self-schemas and the negative triad
What is faulty information processing
Interpreting all situations irrationally
What is catostrophising
Relatively normal events are perceived as disasters
What is black and white thinking
Classify everything as two extreme categories
What is arbitrary inferences
Drawing negative conclusions without having evidence to support them.
What is a negative self-schema
Viewing yourself negatively
What is a negative self-schema example
no one likes me, I’m fat, I’m ugly, I’m stupid
What is the negative triad
Negative views about yourself, the world and your future.
What is ellis’ ABC model
Activating event
Belief about the event
Consequences of the belief
What part of the ABC model causes depression
Beliefs about the activating event
Real-world application of depression
CBT based on the idea irrational thoughts cause depression aims to challenge irrational beliefs.
Alternative explanation of depression
Reduced serotonin causes depression, proved by anti-depressants working.
What is depressive realism
The idea that some depressed people are accurate in their assessment of situations
Example of depressive realism
Passing of a family member- it is rational to be sad.
Research support of depression
Grazioli and Terry found pregnant women were cognitively vulnerable, making them likely to develop post natal depression
Depression is an incomplete explanation
Becks theory doesn’t explain emotional aspects of depression such as low self esteem, mood and anger. Decreases explanatory power.
Depression machine reductionism
Reduces depression to cognitions and input/output
Beck determinism
If you are irrational you will get an illness
Ellis free will
We choose our response to a traumatic event
What theory is CBT based on
Becks theory
What is the aim of CBT
Identify and challenge irrational thoughts.
Who is involved in CBT
Patient and therapist
How long do CBT sessions last
1Hour weekly sessions for 5-20 weeks.
What is patient as scientist
The patient generates a thought and provides evidence to disprove the thought/hypothesis, such as recording every compliment.
What is homework
Tasks set by the therapist for the client to do between sessions, such as keeping a thought diary.
What is thought catching
A patient records a thought every time it comes to them.
What is cognitive restructuring
The patient finds new ways to think about the thoughts by finding a new positive perspective.
What is behavioural activation
Encourages client to identify and participate in activities that they used to enjoy.
What theory is REBT based on
Ellis’ theory
What is ‘D’ in the ABC model
Dispute of the beliefs, they are disagreed and argued against
What is the ‘E’ in the ABC model
Effect of disputing the beliefs, feeling better etc.
Ethical issues of CBT
May need to explore their past which can be traumatic, could also be ignored as a cause leaving it untreated.
CBT empowering the client
It removes dependency on the therapist allowing you to feel independent and capable
CBT fails to address continuing experiences
A bad marriage or critical job will continue to produce irrational thoughts and maladaptive behaviour.
CBT effort
Takes effort and motivation that those who are bed bound and have worse cases may not be able to engage with.
