Depression

Question 1

What is depression

Answer 1

A mental disorder characterised by low mood and energy levels

Question 2

What are the 3 behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 2

1. Low activity/ energy levels
2. Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours
3. Aggression and self-harm

Question 3

Describe ‘Activity levels’

Answer 3

1. Reduced activity levels
2. Withdrawal from work, education and social life
3. In some cases Psychomotor agitation which has the opposite effect (struggle to relax)

Question 4

Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour

Answer 4

1. Changes in sleeping behaviour
2. Reduced sleep: insomnia
3. Or increased need for sleep: hypersomnia
4. Eating behaviours also increase or decrease

Question 5

Aggression and self harm

Answer 5

1. More irritable
2. Verbally or physically aggressive
3. Can have knock-on effect is other areas of life
4. Aggression can be directed as self so cutting or suicide

Question 6

What are the 3 emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 6

1. Lowered mood
2. Anger
3. Lowered self-esteem

Question 7

Describe lowerd mood

Answer 7

Feeling of worthlessness and emptiness

Question 8

Describe anger

Answer 8

1. More negative and fewer positive emotions

2. Anger at others or themselves

Question 9

Describe lowered self-esteem

Answer 9

1. Self-esteem is how much we like ourselves
2. Suffered report lowerd self esteem so don’t really like themselves
3. Can include self loathing

Question 10

What is ‘cognitive characteristics’ and what 3 are there

Answer 10

1. Concerns the way people process information, people with depression process differently 
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1. Poor conc
2. Dwelling on the negative 
3. Absolutist thinking

Question 11

Describe poor conc

Answer 11

1. Poor levels of conc
2. Unable to stick to a task
3. Hard to make decisions
4. Likely to interfere with someone’s work

Question 12

Describe dwelling on the negative

Answer 12

1. Pay more attention to negative aspects than positive

2. Recall in the same way

Question 13

Absolutist thinking

Answer 13

1. ‘Black and white thinking’

2. See an unfortunate situation as an absolute disaster

Question 14

What did Beck suggest were the 3 parts to cognitive vunrlibilty to depression

Answer 14

1. Faulty informational processing: focus on negative aspects and ignore positive
2. Negative self-schemas: interpret a neutral situation as negative
3. Negative triad: view on world, future, and of self

Question 15

What did Ellis define irrational thoughts as

Answer 15

Not as illogical but anything thoughts that interfere with our happiness

Question 16

Explain the ABC model

Answer 16

Explains how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour

1. Activating event: negative event that triggers irrational event (failing test)
2. Beliefs: set of irrational beliefs such as life of always meant to be fair (Utopianism)
3. Consequences: when activating event triggers irrational bellies there are emotional consequences

Question 17

3 evaluation points for ABC model

Answer 17

1. Good supporting Evidence
2. Practical application in CBT
3. Does not explain all aspects of depression

Question 18

Good supporting evidence

Answer 18

1. Lots of evidence associating with faulty info processing, negative self-schemas and triad of automatic thinking
2. 65 pregnant women judged for cognitive venerability, more likely to suffer pre-natal depression
3. Evidence to show cognitive aspects occur before depression itself develops

Question 19

CBT

Answer 19

1. Becks cognitive explanation is basis if CBT
2. Cognitive aspects can be identified and challenged
3. Therapy shown to be very effective compared to any others

Question 20

Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression

Answer 20

1. Some patients deeply angry which cannot be explained

2. Only explains the most common and basic symptoms

Question 21

Evaluation of ABC model

Answer 21

1. Partial explanation
2. CBT
3. Does not explain all aspects of depression.

Question 22

Partial explanation

Answer 22

1. Although some depression caused by activating event, called reactive depression
2. Some depression has no obvious cause
3. Therefore only applies to certain types of depression

Question 23

ACB in CBT

Answer 23

1. Idea of challenging irrational beliefs can reduce depression
2. Supports idea that they play a role in depression

Question 24

ABC does not explain everything

Answer 24

Same as becks, does not explain more complex aspects such as anger and delusions

Question 25

Describe the steps of CBT

Answer 25

1. Assessment of patients cognitive behaviour and their problems 2. Jointly identify goals for the therapy 3. Identify irrational thoughts 4. Types of CBT from both Becks and Ellis’s

Question 26

Describe Becks CBT

Answer 26

1. Identify automatic thoughts around negative triad 2. Once identified these must be challenged 3. Patient as scientist: patient keeps a journal 4. Used as eveice to challenge thoughts

Question 27

Rational emotive behvauoiral therapy

Answer 27

1. Used to identify and dispute irrational thoughts 2. Therapist identifys ‘belfies’ such as Utopianism and then challenge this 3. Aim is to break link between belfies and depression 4. Vigours argument involved (imprical argument)

Question 28

Behavioural activation

Answer 28

Alongside the cognitive aspects, patients are encouraged to engage in enjoyable activities. Used for evidence against irrational beliefs

Question 29

A03 for effective CBT

Answer 29

1. 327 adolescents with depression 2. Compared effects of CBT, CBT+ antidepressants, and just antidepressants. 3. After 36 weeks Both CBT and antidepressants showed a 81% of group showed significant improvement 4. Shows it just as helpful as medication and even more so combined with it

Question 30

CBT may not work for most server cases

Answer 30

1. Patients with severe depression cannot motivate themselvs to engage with CBT 2. May not pay attention 3. In these cases best to treat with antidepressants then use CBT 4. Shows not a sole solution to severe depression

Question 31

Could just be to do with therapist-patient relationship

Answer 31

1. Therapies actually all very similar | 2. So might just be due to the relationship with therapist