Depression

Question 1

what are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 1

• changes in energy levels: increase/decrease in their activities
• disruption to sleep: reduced sleep(insomnia), premature waking up, sleep excessively(hypersomnia)
• disruption to appetite: increase or decrease in eating behaviour, may lead to weight gain or loss
• aggression and self-harm

Question 2

what are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

• lowered mood: feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness
• anger: can be directed at self or others, can lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
• low self-esteem: self-loathing

Question 3

what are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

• poor concentration: find it difficult to concentrate, make decisions or complete a task
  -negative, distorted thoughts: pay more attention to negative aspects and recall more negative, unhappy memories
• absolute thinking: ‘black and white’ thinkinh

Question 4

what approach explains depression?

Answer 4

cognitive approach

Question 5

who are the two theorists involved in the explanation of depression?

Answer 5

• Aaron Beck
• Albert Ellis

Question 6

what is faulty information processing?

Answer 6

• depressed people focus on the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positives
• depressed people tend to have ‘black and white’ thinking
• depressed people overgeneralize and catastrophise

Question 7

what did Aaron Beck suggest?

Answer 7

there are 3 parts to cognitive vulnerability:
- faulty information processing
- negative self-schema
- beck’s negative triad

Question 8

what is negative self schema?

Answer 8

• schema: package of ideas and information developed through experiences, they act as a mental frame-work for the interpretation of sensory information
• self-schema: package of information people have about themselves
• people use schemas to interpret the world so if a person has a negative self schema they interpret all information about themselves in a negative way
• negative self schemas develop from childhood: rejection from peers, criticism from parents

Question 9

what is beck’s negative triad?

Answer 9

• a person develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of three types of negative thinking that occur automatically
• triad: the world, the future and oneself

Question 10

what did Albert Ellis suggest?

Answer 10

• depression is a result of irrational thoughts and the ABC model explains how they affect our behaviour and emotional state

Question 11

how does Ellis define irrational thought?

Answer 11

any thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free from pain

Question 12

what is the ABC model?

Answer 12

A: activating event
B: beliefs about why this happened
C: consequences of the belief