depression expl.

• Unipolar Depression:

  • Physical symptoms:
  • Aches and pains, lack of energy and loss of weight and appetite.
  • Behavioural symptoms:
  • Sufferers stop socialising, lose interest in sex, may attempt suicide, daily activities take longer to complete 
  • Emotional symptoms:
  • Feelings of sadness and despair, absence of feeling, little or no interest in everyday activities
  • Cognitive symptoms:
  • Memory and concentration, sufferers think negatively and may think about dying by suicide, persistent anxiety 
• Diagnosis requires five or more symptoms, including for at least two weeks

  • Extreme sadness
  • Tearfulness
  • Depressed mood
  • Loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities
  • Social withdraw
• Bipolar Depression:

  Behavioural symptoms:

  • High energy levels
  • Reckless behaviour
  • Talkative

  Emotional symptoms:

  • Elevated mood states
  • Irritability
  • Lack of guilt
  • Cognitive symptoms:
  • Delusions
  • Irrational thought processes
• Individuals who suffer from mental disorders have distorted and irrational thinking which may cause maladaptive behaviour.
• aim to be positive and rational
• strengths:

  • It is a structured approach that recognises that complex cognitive processes are important in psychological disorders.
  • It has also been shown to be an effective treatment for depression and social anxiety and is thought to reduce the need for medication as treatments.
• weaknesses:

  • The idea of schemas is rather vague and it is not clear about how irrational thoughts should be defined and measured.
  • It takes no account of biological and genetic factors.
  • It may be that some disorders lead to dysfunctional thinking rather than the other way around.
  • It could be that irrational thoughts are entirely rational and life circumstances need to be targeted
• Research by March et al. (2007) found that CBT was as effective as antidepressants, in treating depression. The researchers examined 327 adolescents with a diagnosis of depression and looked at the effectiveness of CBT, antidepressants and a combination of CBT plus antidepressants. After 36 weeks, 81% of the antidepressant group and 81% of the CBT group had significantly improved, demonstrating the effectiveness of CBT in treating depression. However, 86% of the CBT plus antidepressant group had significantly improved, suggesting that a combination of both treatments may be more effective.
• One issue with CBT is that it requires motivation. Patients with severe depression may not engage with CBT, or even attend the sessions and therefore this treatment will be ineffective in treating these patients. Alternate treatments, for example antidepressants, do not require the same level of motivation and maybe more effective in these cases. This poses a problem for CBT, as CBT cannot be used as the sole treatment for severely depressed patients.
• ‘Outline in one way in which cognitive behavioural therapy has been used to treat depression.’ 

  • the main idea is to challenge irrational thoughts, however, with Ellis’s theory this is achieved through dispute (argument). The therapist will dispute the patient’s irrational beliefs, to replace their irrational beliefs with effective beliefs and attitudes. Following a session, the therapist may set their patient's homework. The idea is that the patient identifies their own irrational beliefs and then proves them wrong. As a result, their beliefs begin to change.