Explanation of the cause of depression - 3

Question 1

Genetic Explanation of unipolar depression

Answer 1

1. There is evidence that if someone in your family has been diagnosed with unipolar depression then there is a higher risk that you will also be diagnosed with depression
2. This suggests that unipolar depression might be inherited through genes shared by family members
3. However, not everyone in a family will develop depression so it is not clear exactly what role genes play in causing depression

Question 2

Twin studies findings and results

Answer 2

1. Twin studies are useful for looking at the influence of genes
2. A study by Peter McGuffin found that if one monozygotic twin became depressed, there was a 46% chance that their twin would only develop depression
3. However, if a dizygotic twin became depressed there was only a 20% chance the other twin would also develop depression
4. This shows that depression might be genetic because the monozygotic twins share more genes than the dizygotic twins at are a t a greater risk of becoming depressed if one of them was diagnosed
5. Not all family members related to someone with depression will go on to become depressed themselves; there needs to be a trigger from the environment in order for the gene to become active. This is called the diathesis-stress model

Question 3

Twin Studies

Answer 3

research that compares behaviour in groups of twins to see if there are similarities in each pair of twins

Question 4

Monozygotic twins

Answer 4

twins developed from one fertilised egg that has split into two; monozygotic twins are genetically identical - share 100% of genes

Question 5

Dizygotic twins

Answer 5

twins developed from two different eggs fertilised during the same pregnancy; dizygotic twins are not genetically identical - share 50% of genes (fraternal)

Question 6

Genetic Predisposition

Answer 6

1. a biological tendency to develop a particular behaviour as a result of the genes someone has
2. If someone has a genetic predisposition to become depressed because they have a gene that increases their risk however they will only go on to become depressed if they are put in a stressful situation that triggers the genes effect on their mood

Question 7

Diathesis-stress model

Answer 7

an explanation for depression that claims people can have a gene that makes them more likely to develop depression but only if they face a stressful situation that triggers depressive thoughts

Question 8

Strengths of the genetic explanation of depression

Answer 8

1. If depression is explained by looking at the genes people inherit, it can take away the stigma of being diagnosed with depression, if depression is genetic, people cannot blame you for being depressed. This means society will be more accepting of people with mental health disorders such as depression
2. Lots of research evidence supports the idea that people are more prone to depression than others. A study shows that people with a variation of the serotonin transporter gene were more likely to react negatively to stressful life events and develop depression. This supports the claim that genes play a significant role
3. The explanation has led to the development of drug treatments.

Question 9

Weaknesses of the genetic explanation of depression

Answer 9

1. It is very deterministic and reductionist because it assumes that if you have certain genes you are likely to become depressed and you have no way to change that. However people argue that you have a certain amount of “free will” to let yourself become depressed
2. People argue that the genetic explanation of depression is reductionist because it fails to take into account other factors that can explain why someone may develop depression. People often think depression is linked to life events such as a death in the family. It is too simplistic to assume that it is just an abnormal gene that makes someone depressed. It underplays how important the patient’s situation might be in the explanation of depression.

Question 10

Cognitive theory

Answer 10

behaviour can be explained by looking at how the brain processes information, and therefore how we think

Question 11

Beck’s cognitive triad

Answer 11

1. Aaron Beck thought that depression could be explained by three negative thought patterns that people may develop about themselves, the future, and the world.
2. These are examples of biases in the way people think (cognitive biases)
3. They see themselves in a negative way, think the world is generally a bad place and think the future is bleak
4. Beck felt that this negative triad develops from bad experiences in someone’s past.
5. Once they have a negative way of thinking, they are more likely to perceive things that happen to them in an abnormal way which leads to negative self-schema where a person’s whole belief system about themselves is covered in negativity
6. Beck believes that if a person has all three types of negative view, then it is likely that they will show symptoms of depression

Question 12

Example of Beck’s cognitive triad

Answer 12

1. Negative view of self: I am worthless/unimportant/a waste of time
2. Negative view of the future: I am never going to amount to anything
3. Negative view of the world: Everyone is against me

Question 13

Cognitive Biases

Answer 13

This is an irrational way of thinking

Question 14

Negative Triad

Answer 14

a set of three thought patterns where people feel bad about themselves the future, and the world in general
* Beck’s cognitive triad

Question 15

Magnification

Answer 15

a form of cognitive bias that makes people see their problems as far bigger than they actually are

Question 16

Irrational Thinking

Answer 16

This is the cause of mental disorder according to the cognitive approach

Question 17

Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 17

1. Albert Ellis had a slightly different view to Beck about what caused depression.
2. He suggested that there are three stages that might cause a person to develop negative thought processes, which can lead to them becoming depressed

Question 18

3 stages of Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 18

1. Activating event: something bad happens to a person that makes them feel unsettles such as a bad exam or losing their job
2. Beliefs: The thoughts the person associates with the event, such as why it happened, which can either be rational or irrational (healthy or unhealthy)
3. Consequences: If the person has a rational thought about the even - then they will have positive emotional consequences (won’t be depressed). However, if the person has an irrational thought about the event, then they will have a negative emotional consequence (might be depressed)

Question 19

Strengths of the cognitive theory explanation of depression

Answer 19

1. It takes into account the events in a person’s life. It also recognises that these events could explain why the person has become depressed. Unlike the genetic explanation, which claims that some people are just naturally likely to become depressed, the cognitive theory accepts that there is often an event that triggers depression. It is a combination of nature and nurture factors that make people depressed - it is more holistic
2. It is applied to therapy. The cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the leading treatments for depression. It challenges irrational thoughts people have in order to stop them from feeling depressed, reducing the needs for drugs

Question 20

Weaknesses of the cognitive theory explanation of depression

Answer 20

1. It is difficult to tell whether irrational thoughts are a cause of depression or a symptom of being depressed. Most people who have depression will only be monitored after being diagnosed which makes it unclear how their thought process changed before the diagnosis
2. Not all cases can be easily explained by a thought process (such as post-natal or postpartum depression)
3. The explanation underplays how important the patient’s situation might be in the explanation of depression.
4. Many people go through similar experiences however these experience do not make everyone depressed.

Question 21

Minimisation

Answer 21

a form of cognitive bias that underplays the significance of an event

Question 22

Over-generalization

Answer 22

drawing a broad confusion from a small event and applying it to all experiences even in the future