Depression

Question 1

How are depressive disorders all characterised?

Answer 1

A lowered mood and low energy levels.

Question 2

The latest version of the DSM recognises what different types of depressive disorders?

Answer 2

• Major depressive disorder,
• Persistent depressive disorder,
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder,
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Question 3

How does the DSM categorise a major depressive disorder?

Answer 3

Severe but often short-term depression.

Question 4

How does the DSM categorise a persistent depressive disorder?

Answer 4

Long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression.

Question 5

How does the DSM categorise a disruptive mood dysregulation disorder?

Answer 5

Childhood temper tantrums.

Question 6

How does the DSM categorise a premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Answer 6

Disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation.

Question 7

Which depressive disorder that is specific to women?

Answer 7

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (during menstruation).

Question 8

Which depressive disorder that is specific to children?

Answer 8

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (during childhood).

Question 9

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 9

• Activity levels,
• Disrupted sleeping and eating behaviours,
• Aggression and self-harm.

Question 10

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 10

• Lowered mood,
• Anger,
• Lowered self-esteem.

Question 11

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 11

• Poor concentration,
• Dwelling on the negatives,
• Absolutist thinking.

Question 12

What is psychomotor agitation?

Answer 12

When individuals become agitated and struggle to relax, they may end up pacing up and down.

Question 13

How does depression affect activity levels?

Answer 13

Typically sufferers of depression have reduced levels of energy, making them lethargic. This has a knock-on effect, with sufferers tending to withdraw from work, education and social life.
Some cases can lead to psychomotor agitation which has the opposite effect.

Question 14

How does depression affect sleeping and eating behaviours?

Answer 14

Depression is associated with changes to sleeping behaviour, sufferers may experience insomnia (reduced sleep) or hypersomnia (increased need for sleep). Appetite can increase or decrease which has an effect on weight change.

Question 15

How does depression affect aggression and self-harming behaviours?

Answer 15

Sufferers are often irritable, becoming physically and verbally aggressive.

Question 16

How does depression affect self-esteem?

Answer 16

Sufferers tend to report reduced self-esteem, this means they like themselves less than usual.

Question 17

How does depression affect mood?

Answer 17

Depressed people have a lowered mood and experience a daily kind of experience of being lethargic and sad. Patients often describe themselves as ‘worthless’ and ‘empty’.

Question 18

How does depression affect anger?

Answer 18

Although sufferers tend to have more negative emotions during episodes of depression, this negative emotion is not limited to sadness. Sufferers may experience anger, directed either at themselves or at others.

Question 19

How does depression affect concentration?

Answer 19

Depression is associated with poor levels of concentration, the sufferer may be unable to stick to a task and make straightforward decisions.

Question 20

How does depression affect cognitive styles?

Answer 20

They tend to pay more attention to and dwell on the negatives, they also tend to show bias towards recalling sad events. They also adopt an absolutist thinking which means that everything is good-or-bad.

Question 21

T / F:

Depression has an unpredictable effect on sleeping behaviours.

Answer 21

Depression is associated with changes to sleeping behaviour, sufferers may experience insomnia (reduced sleep) or hypersomnia (increased need for sleep).

Question 22

T / F:

Depression has an unpredictable effect on weight.

Answer 22

Appetite can increase or decrease which has an effect on weight change.

Question 23

What is self-esteem?

Answer 23

Self-esteem is the emotional experience of how much we like ourselves.

Question 24

T / F:

A depressed person may suffer from ‘black and white thinking’, what is this cognitive characteristic called?

Answer 24

Absolutist thinking.