Depression Characteristics

Question 1

What is depression?

Answer 1

Depression is a category of mood disorders.

To be given a diagnosis of depression, sufferers are required to display at least 5 symptoms, every day for at least 2 weeks.

Question 2

What are the 2 main types of depression?

Answer 2

1) Unipolar - exceptionally low mood.
2) Bipolar (manic-depression) - really eccentric then low, fluctuating.

Question 3

Characteristic of depression

Answer 3

1) Behavioural
2) Emotional
3) Cognitive

Question 4

1) Behavioural

Answer 4

Activity levels: reduced energy levels, making them lethargic. They tend to withdraw from work, education and social life. But it sometimes causes the opposite effect - psychomotor agitation - they can’t relax and pace a lot.

Disruption in sleeping and eating: may experience insomnia or hypersomnia. Appetite can increase or decrease.

Aggression/self-harm: often irritable and can become verbally or physically aggressive. Sometimes the physical aggression is targeted against themselves - cutting or suicide attempts.

Question 5

2) Emotional

Answer 5

Low mood: a defining emotion of depression. It is more than feeling sad. Sufferers often describe themselves as worthless or empty.

Anger: often irritable and can become verbally or physically aggressive. Sometimes the physical aggression is targeted against themselves - cutting or suicide attempts.

Lowered self-esteem: this is how much we like ourselves - depressives like themselves less than usual. Some even hate themselves.

Question 6

3) Cognitive

Answer 6

Poor concentration: they find themselves unable to stick with a task as they usually would or might find it hard to make decisions.

Dwelling on the negative: their perceptions are distorted and out of proportion so they pay attention to the negative and don’t see the positive. They are half-empty. Can be regarded as pessimistic.

Absolutist thinking: they have very black and white thinking - it is either all good or all bad.