Depression

• Depression


  A mood disorder which is more than a few days of feeling down, but it lasts for an extended period of time
• To be diagnosed under DSM at least five symptoms need to be present during the same two week period
• Severity of depressive symptoms

  Can vary from a low mood, to severe depression where an individual feels suicidal
• Behavioural characteristics of depression

  • Reduced activity
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Insomnia or hypersomnia
  • Fatigue or loss of energy
• Emotional characteristics of depression

  • Low mood
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive/inappropriate guilt
  • Suicidal thoughts and attempts
• Cognitive characteristics of depression

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Focus on the negatives and recall of unhappy events
• Beck's negative triad

  A pessimistic and irrational view of three key elements in a person's belief system which can lead to depression: 1) Negative views about the self, 2) Negative views about the world, 3) Negative views about the future
• Schemas

  Cognitive structures that influence how we interpret information and experiences
• Beck believed negative schemas develop in childhood and adolescence when authority figures place unrealistic demands and are highly critical
• If we have developed negative schemas, we will interpret information about ourselves in a negative way, which can lead to depression
• Ellis's ABC model


  1. Activating event, B) Beliefs (rational or irrational), C) Consequences (healthy or unhealthy emotions)
• Mustabatory thinking

  The source of irrational thinking, where certain ideas or assumptions MUST be true in order for an individual to be happy
• Three most important irrational beliefs identified by Ellis

  • I MUST be approved of or accepted by people I find important
  • I MUST do well or very well, or I am worthless
  • The world MUST give me happiness, or I will die
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) aims to identify and challenge negative automatic thoughts, which can lead to a more positive emotional state
• CBT is most effective when combined with drugs (e.g. SSRIs)

  Suggests that negative thoughts alone do not fully cause depression, there must also be a biological element
• Research shows depressed people tend to be more accurate when rating the likelihood of a disaster than 'normal' controls, suggesting their negative thoughts may not always be irrational
• Other approaches beyond just cognitions, such as biological causes, may be needed to fully understand and treat depression