Depression, self harm & suicide

Question 1

3 core features of depression

Answer 1

pervasive low mood
loss of interest & enjoyment (anhedonia)
reduced energy, diminished activity

Question 2

Give some key screening questions for depression

Answer 2

How have you been feeling recently?
Have you been low in spirits?
Have you been able to enjoy the things you usually enjoy?
Have you had your usual level of energy, or have you been feeling tired?
How has your sleep been?
Have you been able to concentrate on your favourite television or radio programmes?

Question 3

What is one of the most important concepts to understand in understanding someones depression?

Answer 3

understanding context and history

Question 4

How do we know there is a biological basis for depression?

Answer 4

Often resulting from natural biological change
e.g. childbirth, menstrual cycle

Similarity across human groups

Effectiveness of certain drugs

Depression is often a predictable side-effect of other medication

Question 5

Give some examples of drugs used to treat depression?

Answer 5

(old ones: MAOIs, tricyclics)
SSRIs
Noradrenaline
Serotinin

people will often have different drugs at different doses to see which is more effective - guesswork

Question 6

What are the 3 physical treatments for depression?

Answer 6

Drug therapy
Physical activity/exercise for mild depression (can be as effective as drugs or CBT)
Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)

Question 7

what type of depression is electro-convulsive therapy used for?

Answer 7

intractable or psychotic depression

Question 8

What is the psychological approach to depression?

Answer 8

cognitive behavioural therapy

Question 9

Who came up with the basis for cognitive behaviour therapy? (cognitive triad)

Answer 9

Beck’s

Question 10

What is the cognitive triad?

Answer 10

Negative view of self
Negative view of experience
Negative view of future

–> these together are likely to produce depression

Question 11

What is Beck’s theory of cognitive depression?

Answer 11

cognitive triad

overgeneralisation (fail at one thing so useless at everything)
magnification and minimisation (making disasters, faWhat tilure to take praise)
personalisation (taking all the blame)

Question 12

What are the two main types of self harm?

Answer 12

Self poisoning

Self injury

Question 13

At school age, which gender is more likely to self harm?

Answer 13

Girls

Question 14

What do hospital attendance rates show?

Answer 14

People are likely to present more than once with self-harm

Question 15

At age 23-25, which gender is more like to self harm?

Answer 15

Neither

Question 16

Do self harm and suicide increase/reduce with age?

Answer 16

self harm reduces

suicide increases

Question 17

Are males are females more likely to self harm and commit suicide?

Answer 17

equal for self harm

Males more likely to commit suicide

Question 18

Are self harm and suicide rates rising or falling?

Answer 18

Self harm rising

Suicide falling

Question 19

Why is alcohol linked with suicide?

Answer 19

central nervous system depressant - makes depression worse

disinhibits depression

Question 20

Which group is most likely to commit suicide?

Answer 20

Middle aged men

Question 21

What is a suicide contagion?

Answer 21

the exposure to suicide or suicidal behaviors within one’s family, one’s peer group, or through media reports of suicide and can result in an increase in suicide and suicidal behaviours