CHARACTERTISTICS OF DEPRESSION

• WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

  mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
• BEHAVIOURAL CHARACTERISTICS?

  • activity levels
  • sleep and eating behaviour
  • aggression + self-harm
• EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS?

  • lowered mood
  • anger
  • lowered self-esteem
• COGNITIVE CHARACTERISTICS?

  • poor concentration
  • negative bias
  • absolutist thinking
• ACTIVITY LEVELS?

  • typically reduced levels of energy (knock-on effect)
  • sometimes agitation
• SLEEP AND EATING BEHAVIOUR?

  • reduced sleep (insomnia)
  • increased sleep need (hypersomnia)
  • eating may increase/ decrease
  • weight gain/ loss
• AGGRESSION AND SELF-HARM?

  • can become verbally/ physically aggressive towards others
  • physical aggression towards themselves
• LOWERED MOOD?

  extreme levels of sadness
• ANGER?

  extreme feelings of anger (at others or themselves)
• LOWERED SELF-ESTEEM?

  • tendency to have incredibly low self-esteem
  • feelings of worthlessness, emptiness
• POOR CONCENTRATION?

  inability to focus and poor decision making
• NEGATIVE BIAS?

  • paying more attention to negative aspects
  • ignoring positive ones
  • recalling unhappy events not happy
• ABSOLUTIST THINKING?

  • 'all or nothing thinking'
  • events are absolutely awful or absolutely amazing
  • an unfortunate situation is seen as a disaster