Psychopathology L8 - 10 (Depression) Flashcards
What are the conditions that must be present for diagnosis of depression?
- At least 5 symptoms present every day for 2 weeks
- Sadness/ loss of interest and pleasure in normal activities
- Impairment of general functioning not caused by other events
Behavioural characteristics of depression:
- Shift in energy levels –> low energy/psychomotor agitation
- Social impairment
- Weight changes –> increase/decrease
- Poor personal hygiene
- Sleep pattern disturbance –> insomnia/hypersomnia
- Aggression and self-harm
Emotional characteristics of depression:
- Loss of enthusiasm
- Constant depressed mood
- Worthlessness
- Anger
Cognitive characteristics of depression:
- Delusions –> hallucinations concerning guilt, punishment, personal inadequacy
- Reduced concentration
- Thoughts of death
- Poor memory
- Negative schema –> leads to self-fulfilling prophecy
- Absolutist thinking
What is depression?
Mood disorder characterised by feelings of despondency and hopelessness
What are the two types of depression?
- Unipolar depression –> persistent low mood
- Bipolar depression –> erratic emotions
What is the cognitive approach to explaining depression?
Those who are suffering from depression often have a distorted or negative schema
Give 3 stages of cognitive triad and state who devised this and in what year.
Developed by Aaron Beck in 1960
1. Negative thinking about self eg. I am useless at Maths
2. Negative thoughts about the world eg. I am useless at everything
3. Negative thoughts about the future eg. I will always be useless at everything
What did Beck believe about depression?
It develops from a negative schema that may have developed from childhood due to overly critical parents/adults
Give examples of negative schema
- Self blame –> they are responsible for all misfortune
- Ineptness –> they will fail at everything
What are the strengths of the cognitive triad?
- Research support (very influential in past 30 years)
- CB approach includes both cognitive and behavioural therapy
What are the weaknesses of the cognitive triad?
- Cause and effect is unclear
- Cognitive approach criticises behavioural approach
- Does not explain how some symptoms of depression develop
What is the research that supports the cognitive triad?
- Terry (2000) assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability before and after birth
- Found that women with high cognitive vulnerability were more likely to suffer from postnatal depression
In what way is the cause and effect unclear in the cognitive triad?
Does depression develop first and cause negative schema or does negative schema cause depression?
How does the cognitive approach criticise the behavioural approach?
It is contradictory as behavioural approach states depression is caused by learning whereas cognitive approach states negative schema causes depression