PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - depression

Question 1

what is depression?

Answer 1

a mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels.

Question 2

what are DSM-5 categories of depression?

Answer 2

1.MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER - severe but short term depression
2. PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE DISORDER - long term or recurring depression
3. DISRUPTIVE MOOD DYSREGULATION DISORDER - childhood temper tantrums
4. PREMENSTRUAL DYSPHORIC DISORDER - disruption to mood prior/during menstruation

Question 3

what are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

1. ACTIVITY LEVELS- reduced energy levels making them lethargic. Withdraw from work, education and social life.

extreme case = psychomotor agitation - struggling to relax and pacing up and down a room

2. DISRUPTION TO SLEEP AND EATING BEHAVIOUR - reduced sleep (insomnia), increased need for sleep (hypersomnia). eating may increase or decrease leading to weight gain or loss.

3.AGGRESSION OR SELF-HARM - become verbally/physically aggressive to self and others. includes self harm in the form of cutting or suicide attempts.

Question 4

what are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 4

1.LOWERED MOOD - feeling lethargic and sad

2.ANGER - extreme anger directed to self or others. such emotion leads to aggressive self harming behaviour

3. LOWERED SELF-ESTEEM - self loathing, hating themselves. likes them self less

Question 5

what are cognitive charactersitics of depression?

Answer 5

1. POOR CONCENTRATION - the person may find themselves unable to stick with a task that they usually would, might find it hard to make decisions that is normally straightforward.
2. ATTENDING TO AND DWELLING ON THE NEGATIVE - pay more attention to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positive. Have a bias towards recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones,
3. ABSOLUTIST THINKING - when a situation is unfortunate, they tend to see it as an absolute disaster.