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
Give an example of how the cognitive triad does not explain how some symptoms of depression develop
For example Cotard syndrome is where a patient believes they’re a zombie. Why does this happen?
Give the three points of Ellis’ ABC model and explain each one
- Activating event –> event triggers negative schema
- Beliefs –> person records thought associated with event
- Consequences –> person records emotional response to their beliefs
What does Ellis also believe can cause negative schema?
Mustabatory thinking eg. I must be loved by everyone
What are the strengths of the ABC model?
- Research support
- Supporting evidence that insecure childhood attachments contribute to negative schema in adulthood
What are the weaknesses of the ABC model?
- Cause and effect is unclear
- Blames client for causes of depression
- Biological approach criticises cognitive approach
What is the research support for the ABC model?
Bates (1999) found that negative thinking causes depression as when depressed patients were given negative thought statements they become more depressed
What factors are ignored when the client is blamed as the cause for depression?
Situational factors like family problems
Give one study that shows the biological approach criticises the cognitive approach
Zhang (2005) found that there is a gene related to depression that makes it ten times more likely for them to develop it
What is the aim of Beck’s CBT?
Restructuring negative thinking to become more positive and rational , resulting in positive impact on behaviour
Features of CBT:
- ABC model used as basis
- ‘Thought catching’ (identifying negative thoughts)
- Encouraged to test out negative thoughts in vivo
- Keep record of all events to prove existence of positive events
- Focus on present experiences
- Individual/group
- Highly trained therapist
- Weekly sessions
List the strengths of CBT:
- Very effective for mild depression
- Widely respected and supported by vast amounts of research as a therapy for depression
- Cost-effective (eg.compared to psychodynamic approach)
- Tends to get to root cause of depression compared to other treatments like medication that mask the symptoms
- Low relapse rates compared to other treatments
List the weaknesses of CBT:
- Cujipers (2013) found CBT can be very effective if combined w/drug therapy (not as much on its own)
- Not very effective for severe depression
Who developed REBT and what does it stand for?
- Rational emotive behavioural therapy (REBT)
- Ellis (1975)
How are negative thoughts challenged in REBT?
Using DEF model
- Disputing irrational thoughts –> logical disputing + empirical disputing (self-defeating inconsistent beliefs w/ reality)
- Effects of disputing and effective attitude to life –> effective disputing can change beliefs to become more rational
- Feelings –> More positive emotions
List the strengths of REBT:
- Flannaghan et al (1997) supports use of REBT as an effective treatment for depressive stroke victims
- David (2008) compared depressive patients w/ 14 wks REBT to those treated w/ fluoxetine 6 months after treatment and found REBT was better long-term treatment compared to drug therapy
List the weaknesses of REBT:
- Cause and effect unclear –> REBT does not tackle root cause if negative thinking is an effect of depression
- Those w/ severe depression will not be able to/willing to communicate w/ psychologist.
- Dependent on skill of therapist –> more skilled, better the outcomes
