Psychopathology - Depression Flashcards
What is depression?
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels.
What are the three behavioural characteristics of depression?
Activity - low levels = lethargic, however could have the opposite effect
Disruption to sleeping/eating behaviour - reduced/increased need for sleep, weight loss/gain
Aggression & self harm - often irritable resulting in verbal and physical aggression
What are the three emotional characteristics of depression?
Lowered mood - more pronounced then the daily kind of experience.
Anger - extreme anger directed at themselves or others.
Low self esteem - self loathing
What are the three cognitive characteristics of depression?
Poor concentration = hard to stick to a task/make decisions
Attending too and dwelling on the negative = focus on the negative aspects e.g glass half empty
Absolutist thinking - if a situation is unfortunate they see it as an absolute disaster
What is the cognitive explanation for depression?
Believes depression stems from faulty cognitions about others, our world and us. Faulty thinking may be through cognitive deficiencies
Explain Beck’s negative triad
Suggested some people are more vulnerable to depression than others. Vulnerability builds through, cognitive bias, negative self schemes and the negative triad.
What is cognitive bias?
We attend to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives.
What is a negative self schema?
A package of info about ourselves, if negative we think about ourselves in an overwhelming negative way as a result of negative experiences.
What is the negative triad?
Having a negative view of the world, your self and the future.
Evaluate Becks negative triad
✅ Supportive evidence - alloy et al(1999) followed the thinking styles of young american’s in their early 20s for 6 years. They were tested and placed in either the positive or negative group. 1% of the positive and 17% of the negative group developed depression.
❌ Gorlib and colby (1987) found people who were formly depressed are no different from people who have never been depressed in terms of tendencies to view events negatively. Negative thinking is an effect rather than a cause of depression.
Explain Ellis’s ABC model
Explained what is required for ‘good’ mental health. states it is obtained through rational thinking which allows people to be happy and pain free.
A - Activating event
B- Beliefs - the interpretation of the event that occurred, can be rational or irrational.
C - Consequences - Irrational biefs lead you to unhealthy emotional outcomes and vice versa
Evaluate Ellis’s ABC model
✅ Application therapy - cognitive ideas have been used to develop effective treatments e.g CBT REBT. The therapies attempt to identify and challenge negative, irrational thoughts focusing on the cause in order to treat it.
❌ Does not explain the origin of irrational thoughts - most of the research in this area is correlational. T unable to determine a causal relationship ; do negative irrational thoughts cause depression or does depression lead to a negative mindset.
Explain Beck’s CBT
Based on the idea that our thoughts determine out behaviour & emotions. CBT aims to make people aware of when they make negative interpretations by developing alternative ways of thinking
What is patient as scientist?
They work together to challenge these irrational thoughts identified using becks negative triad by discussing evidence for and against them. Patient is encouraged to test the validity of their negative thoughts.
Explain Ellis’s REBT
Challenges irrational beliefs through the creation of a dispute using logical and emperical dispute (seeks evidence for a persons thoughts)
Therapist sets homework for their patient to identify their own irrational beliefs and prove them wrong.
Evaluate the treatments of depression.
✅ Supporting evidence - found that CBT was as effective as antidepressants. Researched examined 327 adolescents and looked at the effectiveness of different combos. After 36 weeks 81% of the antidepressants and 81% of the CBT group had significantly improved but 86% of using both improved.
❌ CBT requires motivation - Patients with severe depression may not engage with CBT, or attend sessions T this treatment will be ineffective in treating these patients. CBT cannot be used as the sole treatment for severely depressed patients
