Depression

Question 1

Describe the behavioural characteristic of depression

Answer 1

• Activity levels – tend to be low, leading to withdrawal from work, education and social life
  (in extreme cases, the person cannot get out of bed).
• Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours – The person could end up sleeping more
  (hypersomnia) or less (insomnia)
• Their appetite could increase or decrease, leading to extreme weight gain or loss.
• Harm towards others or the self – the person could feel irritable, which in some cases leads to verbal outbursts at others, or physical harm
  towards others or the self

Question 2

Describe the emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 2

• Lowered mood – this is more pronounced than the everyday human experiences or feeling down or sad.
• Anger – again, felt more deeply by people suffering with depression than otherwise,
  which can lead to verbal or physical harm towards the self or others.
• Lowered self-esteem – the emotional experience for how much a person likes
  themselves, in someone with depression this is negative and reduced from what it may have been previously

Question 3

Describe the cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 3

• Poor concentration – people can have more trouble concentrating on any one task than usually do, or they may find it trickier to make decisions.
• Unable to focus on the positives – people are more likely to dwell on the negative aspects of a situation and not pay attention to the positive ones.
• Absolutist thinking – also known as ‘black or white’ thinking, the person doesn’t see the ‘grey’ areas of a situation, it’s either all good or all bad.

Question 4

What are two cognitive explanations for depression

Answer 4

• Beck’s Cognitive Theory
• Ellis’ ABC model

Question 5

What are the 3 parts to Beck’s Cognitive Theory?

Answer 5

• Faulty Information processing
• Negative Self-Schemas
• Negative Triad

Question 6

What are the components of the negative triad?

Answer 6

• Negative view of the world
• Negative view of the future
• Negative view of the self

Question 7

What are the 3 parts of Ellis’ ABC model

Answer 7

Activating Event
Beliefs
Consequences

Question 8

What’s the most common form of treatment for depression?

Answer 8

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)

Question 9

Describe CBT through an application of Beck’s cognitive theory

Answer 9

• Aim is to identify automatic
  thoughts about… what 3 things?
• Once identified, these
  thoughts are challenged
• Patients are also helped to test the reality of their negative beliefs.
• To help with this, they are set “homework”, such as to record whenever someone is nice to them – referred to as ‘patient as scientist’.
• This evidence is then used in future sessions.

Question 10

Describe CBT through an application of Beck’s cognitive theory

Answer 10

• Ellis’s REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy)
• The central technique is to identify and dispute (challenge) irrational thoughts and beliefs.
• The therapist enthusiastically argues with the patient to change their irrational belief - breaking the link between negative events and depression.
• Empirical argument = disputing whether there is actually evidence to support the negative belief.
• Logical argument = disputing whether the negative thought is logical in following the facts.