Depression

• Behavioural Characteristics


  activity levels, disruption to sleep and eating, aggression and self harm
• Activity levels 


  low activity levels cause the patient to become lethargic
• Disruption to sleep and eating

  reduced sleep and increased sleep and an increase in appetite or the opposite
• Aggression and self harm

  patients can become irritable and sometimes aggressive. this can take form of ending relationships or jobs, or be as severe as self harm or suicide attempts
• Emotional characteristics


  lowered mood, anger, low self esteem
• Lowered mood


  clinically depressed patients often report feeling empty or worthless
• Anger


  this can be directed at their self or others
• Low self esteem 


  how much we like ourselves and have confidence in ourselves
• Cognitive characteristics 


  The way in which we process information. Patients will process information very differently to the non clinical population. Consists of poor concentration, dwelling on the negative, absolutist thinking
• Poor concentration


  unable to persevere with a task or make decisions
• Dwelling on the negative

  Ignoring positive aspects of their lives. They will have a cognitive bias in terms of memory
• Absolutist thinking


  'all good' or 'all bad'. patients have black and white thoughts