Depression Flashcards
(5 cards)
1
Q
What is depression?
A
A mental disorder characterised by low mood & energy levels
2
Q
What are the main categories of depression recognised by the latest version of the DSM?
A
- major depressive disorder - severe but short-term depression
- persistent depressive disorder - long-term or recurring depression
- disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - childhood temper tantrums
- premenstrual dysphoric disorder - disruption to mood before or during menstruation
3
Q
What are some behavioural characteristics of depression?
A
- activity levels - sufferers tend to withdraw from work, education & a social life or the opposite known as psychomotor agitation where they struggle to relax
- disruption to sleep & eating behaviour - sufferers may experience insomnia or hypersomnia (increased need for sleep) & eating may increase or decrease leading to weight gain or loss
- aggression & self-harm - can become verbally or physically aggressive against others or towards themselves, including self-harm or suicide attempts
4
Q
What are some emotional characteristics of depression?
A
- lowered mood - more pronounced than in daily life where patients lethargic & empty
- anger - patients may regularly experience anger to others or themselves which leads to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
- lowered self-esteem - sufferers tend to show low self-esteem which can be extreme where some sufferers describe a sense of self-loathing
5
Q
What are some cognitive characteristics of depression?
A
- poor concentration - sufferer may find themselves unable to stick to a certain task that would usually be straightforward, interfering with one’s work
- dwelling on the negative - people with depression often pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation & ignore the positives - they may also have a bias for recalling unhappy events rather than happy ones
- absolutist thinking - when the sufferer sees situations as absolutely bad with no positives associated with it
