Psycological Disorder - Depression, Self Harm And Suicide Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are the types of depression
Bipolar - manic
Unipolar (no mania) (most common, and coexists with anxiety normally)
Dysthymia - persistent low grade depression
Describe bipolar/manic depression
- excessive elation, irritability + talkativeness
- inflated self esteem
- followed or preceded by depressive period
- higher suicide risk
Questions surrounding diagnosing depression?
- illness vs normal unhappiness
- secondary to physical illness?
- secondary to drugs?
- physical symptoms?
- coocuring with anxiety?
- does it place the individual at risk of suicide?
Core features of depression
Pervasive low mood
Loss of interest and enjoyment (anhedonia)
- reduced energy
How is depression assessed?
PHQ-9 or 8:
Interview - and context of persons history
How have you been feeling recently?
*Have you been low in spirits? *
*Have you been able to enjoy the things you usually enjoy? *
Have you had your usual level of energy, or have you been feeling tired?
How has your sleep been?
Have you been able to concentrate on your favourite television or radio programmes?
What is the biological basis for depression
resulting from natural biological change
e.g. childbirth, menstrual cycle
similarity across human groups - same in cultures
effectiveness of certain drugs
side-effect of other medication - chemical basis
Physical treatments for depression
- drug therapy - Faster acting
- MAOIs, Tricyclics, SSRIs
- noradrenaline, serotonin Faster acting
- physical activity/exercise
mild depression (as effective as antidepressants or CBT), social, group - electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)
intractable or psychotic depression - 6-10 episodes of electric shocks
Most severe depression
Controversial - may leave with some memory loss
Psychological approaches to treating depression
CBT:
- Beck’s cognitive theory of depression
- the basis for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- cognitive triad means
negative view of self, experience, future
together produce depression
Becks cognitive theory of depression characteristics
cognitive triad: negative thoughts about self, world, future:
errors in logic
- overgeneralisation - eg: fail one thing so useless at everything
- magnification & minimisation - making disasters, failure to take praise
- personalisation - taking all the blame
What is therapy in becks cognitive theory of depression
BECKS cognitive therapy
- one of the talking therapies
- brief – 6-20 sessions
- =good as antidepressants in mild to moderate depression
What are the two types of self harm
Intentional Self poisoning
Intentional Self injury
Motivations for self harm:
- Get relief from state of mind
- Escape from impossible situation
- Show how much you love somebody
- Show somebody how you feel
- Find out if somebody loves you
- Seek help
- Frighten somebody/make them sorry
- Influence somebody
Suicide age, sex, link to mental illness, rates:
- increases with age
- M>F
- violent methods
- strong link to mental illness
- rates were falling (reversed since covid19 pandemic)
increasing in young men
associated with alcohol misuse
occur in the same people
Self harm age, sex, mental illness link, rates:
- reduces with age
- M=F
- cutting/poisoning
- weak link with mental illness
- rates rising
increasing in young men
associated with alcohol misuse
occur in the same people
Individual influence on suicide examples
loneliness and loss, health, life, loved ones, independence
history of self-harm
substance misuse – especially alcohol
presence of a mental disorder – especially affective disorder
physical illness
