Psychopathology - Depression Flashcards
types of depression
major depressive disorder
persistent depressive disorder
unipolar depression
bipolar depression
major depressive disorder
Severe but often short-term depression
Persistent depressive disorder
Long-term or recurring depression- also called
dysthymic depression
Unipolar depression
Sufferers only experience depression and not
manic episodes. Clinical symptoms usually occur
in cycles.
bipolar depression
Sufferers experience mixed episodes of mania
and depression.
behavioural characteristics of depression
loss of energy
social impairment
weight changes
poor personal hygiene
sleep pattern disturbance
loss of energy
- Depressed people can have reduced amounts of
energy, resulting in fatigue, lethargy and high levels of inactivity. In
severe cases this may mean not being able to get out of bed. In some
cases, people with also experience the opposite effect- known as
psychomotor agitation e.g. not being able to relax.
social impairment
- There can be reduced levels of social interaction with friends and relations.
weight changes
Significant decreases or increases in weight are often associated with depression.
Appetite and eating behaviour is disrupted by this disorder.
poor personal hygiene
- Depressed people often have reduced incidence of washing, wearing clean
clothes etc.
sleep pattern disturbance
- Depression is often characterised by constant
insomnia (inability to fall asleep or stay asleep) or hypersomnia
(oversleeping).
emotional characteristics of depression
loss of enthusiasm
constant lowered mood
worthlessness
anger
loss of enthusiasm
- Depression is often characterised by a lessened concern with and/or lack of
pleasure in daily activities.
constant lowered mood
- A key characteristic is the ever present and overwhelming feelings of
sadness/negativity, sometimes described as feelings of ‘emptiness’.
wothlessness
Those suffering from depression often have constant feelings of reduced worth and/or
inappropriate feelings of guilt. It can also be accompanied by lowered self-esteem- liking themselves less than
usual. In extreme cases describing a sense of self-loathing (hating themselves).
anger
Sufferers of depression also frequently experience anger, directed at the self or others. On occasion
these emotions can lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
cognitive characteristics of depression
People suffering from depression tend to process information about several aspects of the world quite differently
from the ‘normal’ ways that people without depression think.
reduced concentration
attending to and dwelling on the negative
thoughts of death
reduced concentration
There can be difficulty in paying/maintaining attention and/or slowed-down thinking
and indecisiveness. This is likely to interfere with an individual’s work or everyday functioning.
attending to or dwelling on the negative
- When suffering an episode people with depression
are inclined to pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives-> “glass half empty”. They also have negative schemas. They might also experience absolute
thinking (black and white thinking), whereby they will see an unfortunate situation as an
absolute disaster.
thoughts of death
- Depressives can have constant thoughts of death and/or suicide.
acronym to help you remember these characteristics
WASPS WALL ANT
Weight, Activeness, Sleep disturbance, Personal hygiene, Social impairment
Worthlessness, Anger, Lowered mood, Loss of enthusiasm
Attention problems, Negative schemas, Thoughts of suicide
