depression✅ Flashcards

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1
Q

what is depression

A

a mood disorder affecting 10% of the population

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2
Q

what are behavioural characteristics of depression

A
  • disruption to sleep and eating habits eg: insomnia or binging
  • activity levels –> reduced energy (lethargy)
  • aggression or self harm –> irritability, verbally/physicaly aggressive
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3
Q

what are the emotional characteristics of depression

A
  • lowered self esteem –> sufferers do not ‘like’ themselves
  • anger –> directed at them selves or others
  • lowered mood –> feeling worthless and empty
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4
Q

what are the cognitive characteristics of depression

A
  • absolutist thinking –> black and white thinking
  • poor concentration –> unable to make decisions or stick with task
  • attending to and dwelling on the negative
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5
Q

how does the cognitive approach explain depression

A

-according to the cognitive explanaition, emotional problems are a result of cognitive distortions (irrational thinking)
- 2 main theories = Beck’s cognitive triad and Ellis’ irrational thinking (ABC model)

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6
Q

how did Beck’s Negative Cognitive Triad explain depression?

A

-claimed that depression is caused by negative self schemas maintaining the cognitive triad;
= a negative and irrational view about ourselves, our future and the world around us

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7
Q

what is a negative self schema in regards to the cognitive explanation of depression

A
  • a ‘package’ of knowledge that stores info about our self and the world
  • these schemas develop during childhood
  • according to Beck, depressed ppl possess negative self schemas which come from negative experiences
    eg: criticism from parents
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8
Q

what is an example of a negative self schema?

A

ineptness schema

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9
Q

describe an ineptness schema

A
  • makes sufferers expect to fail
  • self blame that makes them feel responsible for misfortunes
  • constantly reminds them of their worthlessness
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10
Q

describe Beck’s cognitive biases in regard to the cognitive explanation for depression

A
  • depressed ppl are more likely to focus on negative aspects of situation
  • this distorts information–> known as cognitive bias
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11
Q

name two types of cognitive bias according to Beck

A
  • overgeneralisations
  • catastrophising
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12
Q

describe overgeneralisations as a type of cognitive bias

A
  • depressed person makes a sweeping conclusion based on a single incident
    eg: “ I failed end ofunit test so I will fail whole A-level”
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13
Q

describe catastrophising as a type of cognitive bias

A
  • depressed person exaggerates a minor setback and believe it is a complete disaster
    “I’ve failed end of unit test therefore I am never going to study and uni or get a good job”
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14
Q

according to beck, what leads to depression

A
  • negative self schemas and cognitive biases maintain the negative triad which is a negative view of three key aspects of a persons life which leads to depression
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15
Q

what does Ellis say in regards to causes of depression

A
  • according to Ellis, good mental health is the result of rational thinking which allows ppl to be pain free and happy
  • whereas depression is the result of irrational thinking which prevents us from being happy and pain free
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16
Q

what does Ellis’ ABC model stand for?

A
  • activating event
  • beliefs
  • consequence
17
Q

describe ‘activating event’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model

A
  • and event occurs
    eg: you pass a friend in the corridor and she ignores you despite you saying hello
18
Q

describe ‘beliefs’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model

A
  • your interpretation of an event
  • either rational or irrational
    eg:
    rational: your friend might not have heard/saw you
    irrational: your friend dislikes you and never want to speak to you again
19
Q

describe ‘consequence’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model

A

-rational beliefs lead to helthy outcomes eg; I will speak to my friend later to see if she is ok
-irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotional outcomes, including depression eg; I will block my friend’s number as they clearly do not want to talk to me

20
Q

what are 2 beliefs that irrational beliefs can include

A
  • musturbation
  • utopianism
21
Q

describe musturbation

A

the belief that we must always succeed and achieve perfection

22
Q

describe utopianism

A

the belief that life must always be fair

23
Q

what are some A03 points about the cognitive approach of depression

A

-there may be other more credible explanations –> demonstrates machine reductionism
-does not explain the origin of irrational thoughts –> therefore may struggle discussing cause and effect
-soft determinism –> less deterministic than other approaches

24
Q

what are cognitive treatments for depression based on?

A
  • cognitive treatments for depression are based on the assumption that faulty thinking/thought processes make a person vulnerable to depression
25
Q

what does the cognitive element in CBT aim to identify when treating depression?

A
  • aims to identify irrational thoughts that lead to depression and replace them with more positive rational ones
26
Q

what does the behavioural element in CBT aim to do when treating depression?

A
  • aims to encourage patients to test their beliefs through behavioural experiments and homework
27
Q

what are the various components of CBT?

A

1) initial assessment
2) goal setting
3) identifying negative/irrational thoughts and challenging them –> either with Beck’s cognitive therapy or Ellis’s REBT
4) homework

28
Q

describe Beck’s cognitive behavioural therapy

A
  • identify negative thoughts about themselves, world and future using Beck’s negative triad
  • patient and therapist then work together to challenge these thoughts, by discussing evidence for and against them
  • patient then encouraged to test validity and test these thoughts for homework
29
Q

describe Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)

A
  • like Beck, main idea is to challenge irrational thoughts, however this is done through dispute
  • therapist will dispute irrational thoughts and replace them with more effective beliefs/attitudes
  • different types of dispute –> logical or empirical
    logical = where the therapist questions the logic of patient’s thoughts
    empirical= where therapist seeks evidence
30
Q

what are some A03 points of the cognitive approach to treating depression (CBT and REBT)

A

-may not be appropriate for all people –> alternative biological treatment may be more suited
-there is evidence to support effectiveness –> widely seen as first choice
-may not be effective for certain types of depression–> ineffective in treating reactive depression
-expencive as trained specialist therapist is required–> biological approach may be more economically accessable