Characteristics of depression

Question 1

What is depression according to the DSM-V?

Answer 1

Mood disorder

Question 2

What are the different types of depression?

Answer 2

Major depressive disorder —-> severe but short-term

Persistent depressive disorder –> long term/recurring depression

Question 3

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

• Lowered activity levels

* Disruption to sleep + eating behaviour (insomnia/hypersomnia)

• Aggression/self-harm

Question 4

Describe lowered activity levels

Answer 4

Lethargic

Knock-off effect —> lead to withdraw of school/work

Cannot get out of bed

Can be opposite = psychomotor agitation —> struggle to relax/pace up and down the room.

Question 5

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 5

• Lowered mood —> sadness/ daily feeling of emptiness
• Anger —> Can be directed to ones self or others
• Lowered self esteem —> like themselves less ~ sense of self-loathing

Question 6

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 6

• Poor concentration –> unable to stick to tasks/hard to make decisions
• Attending to/dwelling on the negative —> ignore all positive aspects (half-empty).
  ~~~Bias towards recalling unhappy events
• Absolutist thinking—> Black and white thinking. Everything is seen as a absolute disaster.