⚫ Psychopathology: Depression Flashcards
What are the DSM-5 categories of depression
- Major depressive disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
What is major depressive disorder
A DSM-5 category of depression referring to severe but short term depression
What is persistent depressive disorder
Long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression wand what used to be called dysthymia
What is disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
Childhood temper tantrums and on going irritability
What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation
What is dysthymia
Persistent mild depression
List the behavioural characteristics of depression
- Change in activity levels
- Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
- Aggression and self harm
How can a depressive episode cause activity levels to change, give examples
- Typically energy levels reduce, making someone lethargic
- These individuals tend to withdraw from work, education and social life, in worst cases a person cant get out of bed
- In some cases individuals may have psychomotor agitation and struggle to relax
- These individuals may end up pacing up and down a room due to the inability to relax
How can a depressive episode cause disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
- A person may experience reduced sleep (insomnia), particularly premature waking OR a person may experience an increased need for sleep
- A person may also have an increase or decrease in appetite, leading to weight gain or loss
In what ways can a depressive episode induce aggression
- Verbal and physical aggression can show due to often being irritable
- This can show by ending a relationship or quitting job due to verbal aggression
- Physical aggression can also be directed against self
- This includes self-harm e.g cutting or even suicide attempts
What are the emotional characteristics of depression
- Lowered mood
- Anger
- Lowered self-esteem
What are the emotional characteristics of depression
- Lowered mood
- Anger
- Lowered self-esteem
Outline lowered mood as an emotion characteristic of depression
- The feeling of sadness is more
pronounced than in the daily kind of experience of feeling lethargic and sad - People with
depression often describe themselves as ‘worthless’ and ‘empty’
Outline anger as an emotional characteristic of depression
- People with depression also frequently experience anger, sometimes extreme anger
- This can be directed at the self or others
- On occasion such emotions lead
to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
Outline lowered self-esteem as an emotional characteristic of depression
- People with depression tend to report reduced self-esteem, in other words they like themselves less than usual
- This can be quite extreme, with some people with depression describing a sense of self-loathing, i.e. hating themselves.
