Psychopathology: Depression Flashcards
Behavioural characteristics of depression
Reduced activity levels
changes to eating/sleeping patterns
Reduced activity levels
makes person lethargic
Changes to eating/sleeping patters
Overeating/undereating = weight gain/loss
Hypersomnia or insomnia
Emotional characteristics of depression
Lowered mood
Anger
Lowered mood
happens for prolonged periods of time
Anger
leads to self harming behaviour
Cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration
Absolutist thinking
Poor concentration
unable to concentrate on simple tasks. Simple decision making is difficult
Absolutist thinking
Thinking in ‘black and white’ terms.
Unfortunate situation = disaster
Explanations for depression
Becks negative triad explanation
Ellis’s ABC model
Beck’s explanation
People are biased towards the neg
Beck: cognitive vulnerabilities towards developing depression
Faulty info processing
Negative self schema
Cognitive triad
Faulty information processing
blows small problems out of proportion (catastrophising)
dwells on negatives, thinking in B&W terms
Catastrophising
Blowing small problems out of proportion
Negative self schema
Patient interprets all info about themselves in a neg light, further lowering self-confidence
How do negative self schemas develop?
though traumatic childhood experience
e.g. continual parent criticism, rejection by others
Cognitive triad
Patient suffers from automatic negative thoughts about self, world and future
Self thoughts
“I am unattractive”
World thoughts
“Even my boyfriends hates me”
Future thoughts
“I will always be unattractive”
Ellis’s ABC model
Irrational beliefs come from irrational thinking
A of ABC model
Activating event
What does the ABC model claim the model begins with
an activating event
What does the activating event lead to?
A belief: either rational of irrational
Consquence of an irrational belief
negative emotions such as depression
Example of an activating event
Failing driving test
Source of irrational beliefs
musturbatory thinking
Musturbatory thinking
thinking certain ideas must be true for an individual to be happy
What is likely for a person that thinks in a musturbatory way?
likely to be at
best: disappointed
worst: depressed
A03: support
Focuses on person, gives them
1) responsibility for their disorder
2) opportunity to change their thinking
A03: against focusing on person
downplay of situational factors that may have contributed to depression e.g. life events, family problems
A03: RLA
Beck and Ellis developed theories like CBT
If depression successfully treated by challenging irrational thoughts, irrational thoughts = probable cause of depression
A03: Not all irrational thoughts are actually irrational
Alloy and Abraham found depressed people give more accurate estimated for the likelihood of disaster.
More accurate view of world than optimistic non-depressed people
A03: Alloy and Abraham so what?
means irrational beliefs may just seem irrational, but acc aren’t
A03: Genetic factors
Depressed people have low lvls of serotonin
NT’s play a role in causing depression
Drug therapy is a successful treatment
Diathesis stress model = better explanation
CBT involves….
Cognitive and behavioural elements
Cognitive elements of CBT
aim to identify irrational and neg thoughts which lead to depression
components to CBT
initial assessment
Goal setting
Identifying negative thoughts and challenging them
Homework
Beck’s cognitive therapy
Identify
Challenge
Test
Becks cognitive theory: Identify
therapist helps patient identify neg thoughts in relation to themselves, world and future using neg triad
Becks cognitive theory: Challenge
Patient = therapist challenge irrational thoughts by discussing evidence for and against them
Becks cognitive theory: Test
Patient encourage to test validity of irrational thoughts
Set homework
Ellis REBT
Developed ABC model to inc. Dispute and Effect
Ellis REBT: Dispute
Challenge irrational thoughts via dispute (vigorous argument)
Ellis REBT: types of dispute
logical
empirical
Ellis REBT: Logic dispute
therapist questions logic of patients thoughts
Ellis REBT: empirical dispute
Therapist seeks evidence to support irrational beliefs
Ellis REBT aim:
to challenge irrational belief and break the link between negative life events and depression
Behavioural action
therapist encourages patient to engage in enjoyable activities and be more active
Provides more evidence of irrational nature of beliefs.
A03: REBT and CBT strength
done well in outcome studies
March et al
A03: March et al (2007): Procedure
used 327 adolescents compared effects of: CBT antidepressants CBT + antidepressants
A03: March et al (2007): Findings
81% improvements for CBT and antidepressants condition
86% improvement for combo
Therefore, CBT just as effective as other therapies
A03: March et al (2007): SO what?
There is a good case for using CBT as a treatment in the NHS. Patients aren’t as reliant on drugs
A03: weakness
CBT less effective in those with high irrational beliefs
Elkin et al
A03: weakness. Elkin et al: findings:
Patient may struggle to:
Engage in cognitive work
motivate themselves
focus in sessions
A03: weakness. Elkin et al SO what?
means CBT can’t be used to address all cases of depression
not suitable for those who need help the most
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS
A03: Alternative treatments
alterative treatments have advantages over CBT
Antidepressants (SSRI’s)
A03: Advantages of alternative treatments
not much commitment on part of patient in comparison (Ellis REBT = 27 sessions)
Effective v. quickly, cost-effective
A03: other treatments: SO what?
Suggests other treatment more appropriate for some patients, should be used to compliment CBT
