depression Flashcards
(31 cards)
define depression
a mental disorder characterised by low moods and energy levels.
define behavioural characteristics
ways in which people act
define emotional characteristics
ways in which people feel
define cognitive characteristics
ways in which people think, know, perceive and believe.
what are some behavioural characteristics of depression?
low activity levels- lethargic
high activity levels- sometimes psychomotor agitation can occur
disruption to sleep- insomnia, hyper insomnia
disruption to eating behaviour- increase/ decrease= weight loss/weight gain.
aggression and self harm- irritable, verbally/physically aggressive, could be physical aggression towards one self.
what are some emotional characteristics of depression?
lowered mood- ‘worthless’ ‘empty’
anger- directed at self or others
lowered self-esteem- liking themselves less than usual, extreme cases= self-loathing
what are some cognitive characteristics of depression?
poor concentration- unable to stick with tasks, might find it harder to make decisions.
attending to and dwelling on negative aspects-‘glass half empty’ eg; recall mostly unhappy events
absolutist thinking- see situations in black and white
what is the cognitive approach?
has come to mean ‘mental processes’. thought, perception and attention affect behaviour.
what is the definition of Beck’s negative triad?
three kinds of negative thinking that contributed to depression.
negative views of the world
the future and the self
these lead a person to interpret there feelings in a negative way.
what is the definition of Elis’ ABC model?
depression occurs when
an Activating event triggers
a negative Belief which in turn produces
a Consequence.
this is a key process in irrational belief.
what is the definition of irrational belief ?
any thoughts that interfere with us being happy and pain free.
who believes that the way people think creates a vulnerability for depression
beck
what is faulty information processing?
focusing on the negatives, blowing small problems out of proportion.
what is a negative schema?
a schema is package of ideas and information developed through experience.
Mental framework .
A package of information that we have about ourselves.
use them to interpret the world
INTERPRET ALL INFORMATION NEGATIVELY
maintains negative triad.
describe the negative triad further
automatic negative thinking. Negative views of the world, the future and the self. Negative views of the future reduce any hopefulness
describe the ABC model further
based on the argument that good mental health is the result of rational thinking.
conditions such of depression are thought to be irrational thoughts.
Elis’ 1962 has the Activating event, irrational Belief, Consequence
what is musturbatory thinking in regards to the ABC model?
the source of irrational beliefs. eg ‘ I must do well, or I am worthless’.
what is Utopianism in regards to the ABC model?
the belief that life should always be fair.
why does mutsturbatory and utopianism need to be challenged?
this is because these ‘musts’ need to be challenged for mental healthieness.
Evaluate Becks cognitive theory using a strength
P: there is supporting evidence for becks cognitive theory.
E: Grazioli and Terry (2000) assessed 65 pregnant women for vulnerability and depression before and after birth. the findings shown that mothers with high cognitive vulnerability had more of a chance of developing post-natal depression.
E: this supports the cognitive explanation that depression is due to mental processing.
Evaluate Becks cognitive theory using another strength x2
P: the cognitive approach has useful applications for treating depression.
E: Beck’s explanation has been applied to therapy in the form of CBT where all cognitive aspects of negative triad can be identified and challenged through CBT.
E: this has been consistently been found as treatment for depression. this suggest that negative thoughts probably have a role in depression.
Evaluate Elis’ ABC model using a strength
P: the ABC model has led to successful therapy.
E: the idea that challenging irrational beliefs can reduce depression is supported by lipzky et al.
E: this is turn supports the basic theory as it suggests irrational beliefs have a role in depression.
Evaluate Elis’ ABC model using a weakness
P: not alll cases of depression follow an activating event.
E: some people develop depression without there being a disaster.
E: this means that ellis’ explanation only applies to some kinds of depression.
partial explanation.
Evaluate the cognitive approach using a weakness
Depression can also be explained in terms of genetic factors and neurotransmitters.
example studies have found low levels of neurotransmitters serotonin in depressed people, and a gene relate to serotonin is ten times common in depressed people
this suggests that the cognitive explanation for depression is not the only one.
diathesis stress model approach may be better as it looks at biological and cognitive.
