Treating depression - 3

Question 1

CBT

Answer 1

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Question 2

Cognitive Behavioural therapy in depression

Answer 2

1. Type of therapy used to treat many different mental health disorders.
2. The main aim is to help the patient change the way they thing (cognitive) and change the way they act to improve the symptoms they are having (behavioural)
3. CBT is based on the understanding that the way we think affects how we feel, and how we feel influences how we behave
4. If a person can change the way they think, their behaviour should also change. In this case, they change the negative thoughts that make them feel depressed so that the symptoms of depression can improve.

Question 3

Negative view of the future negative circle

Answer 3

1. The person feels depressed
2. Feeling depressed may make them shy away from social situations more
3. Feeling depressed makes them feel down and may affect their behaviour
   * loop

Question 4

How does CBT help cycle

Answer 4

1. The person attends therapy and it makes them consider their thought processes and how they influence the way they feel and behave
2. Because they are considering their thought processes they can begin to challenge the irrational thoughts
3. If they think more rationally about situations they are in then they should begin to feel better
4. When they feel better, they are more likely to go out and see other people, improving their symptoms further
   * loop

Question 5

REBT

Answer 5

1. Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy
2. based on ABC model
3. Involves disputing depressed peoples irrational thinking

Question 6

Stages of CBT in depression

Answer 6

1. Patients discuss all their symptoms with the therapist and explain how they feel and what makes them feel this way
2. Challenging these irrational ways of thinking by recognising thoughts that are irrational or negative and replacing them with more rational and positive thoughts (restructuring their beliefs)
3. Patient will have a series of sessions of CBT. Between each session they will have “homework” to do that might involve trying to change the way they think about a situation and writing about how they feel in a diary. This stage helps them to practice more rational thought processes

Question 7

Strengths of using CBT to treat depression

Answer 7

1. There is evidence that is is effective. In 2010 it was found that depressed patients treated with CBT improved more than those who were still waiting for treatment or not receiving any treatment.
2. May be a longer lasting treatment for depression than only using antidepressants as patients learn how to control their symptoms by changing their irrational and negative thoughts They have the skills to do this whenever they need to
3. Can help depressed patients feel better because they learn how to deal with their own symptoms. The feelings of helplessness with depression can be reduced because the patient knows that they can do something about their state

Question 8

Weaknesses of using CBT to treat depression

Answer 8

1. CBT relies on patients wanting to change their behaviour and recognise when their thoughts are irrational. However the patient may have a lack of motivation so CBT may be ineffective
2. People argue that the therapist is encouraging the patient to think their own thought processes are a problem and should be thought off in another way which is unethical. This could make people feel that the way they think or behave is wrong which gives the therapist an opportunity to abuse their position of power to change their thinking to what the therapist thinks is normal
3. The treatment requires a trained and skilled therapist, which can be expensive and time consuming.
4. Reductionist, as the role of genes is not emphasised.

Question 9

Drug therapy as a treatment for depression

Answer 9

1. If patients have a history of suffering from moderate or severe depression that keeps coming back or symptoms that have lasted a long time, they may be offered drug therapy as a form of antidepressants
2. Drugs are also useful for patients with more mild depression if other therapies such as CBT has not been effective
3. Antidepressant drugs raises the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline which are thought to play a role in controlling mood.
4. Not all drugs work in the same way

Question 10

Neurotransmitters

Answer 10

A chemical found in the nervous system which sends messages from one neuron to another across a synapse

Question 11

Noradrenaline

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter that is involved in mood and is released during times of stress; depressed people often have low levels

Question 12

Reuptake

Answer 12

The reabsorption of excess neurotransmitters by the neuron

Question 13

Types of antidepressants

Answer 13

1. SSRIs
2. SNRIs
3. MAOIs

Question 14

SSRIs

Answer 14

1. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
2. The neurotransmitter, serotonin, is released from the end of one nerve cell
3. Serotonin passes across the synapse and binds to receptors on another nerve cell sending a signal along that nerve sell
4. The SSRI drug blocks the re-uptake gate making excess serotonin which is usually absorbed left in the synapse
5. This increases the amount of serotonin in the synapse leaving it to continue to bind to receptors
6. People with depression may have faulty serotonin receptors

Question 15

Serotonin

Answer 15

a neurotransmitter associated with controlling mood

*calmness

Question 16

SNRIs

Answer 16

1. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors

2. Same effect as SSRIs but block the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline

Question 17

MAOIs

Answer 17

1. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
2. Prevent the enzyme monoamine oxidase from doing its job properly
3. Monoamine oxidase breaks down neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline. This decreases the activity of serotonin
4. Monoamine oxidase targets the enzymes by blocking the active site of the enzyme
5. This increases the amount of serotonin in the synapse

Question 18

Strengths of drug therapy as a a treatment for depression

Answer 18

1. It can improve a patient’s symptoms enough to make it easier for them to access other psychological therapies by improving their motivation to benefit from therapy such as CBT
2. There is evidence to back it up. Drug trials show antidepressants to be more effective than placebos (fake drugs).
3. The treatment is fairly cheap and quick to administer.

Question 19

Placebo

Answer 19

an inactive substance, or ‘fake pill’ used instead of an active substance. The person given a placebo will not know it is fake

Question 20

Weaknesses of drug therapy as a a treatment for depression

Answer 20

1. They can have dangerous and unpleasant side effects for some patients such as having to follow a specific diet, drowsiness, nausea, trouble sleeping, diabetes, and also an increase in suicidal feelings.
2. Many people argue that while drugs improve the symptoms, they do not treat the disorder because they do not tackle the cause. Patients are more likely to relapse as once the medication has left their body, they will no longer have the increased levels of neurotransmitters making their mood decrease - treatment may just hide the symptoms
3. Reductionist, as effects of social factors is not emphasised.
4. The person can become reliant on the drug to control their mood.
5. Tolerance to the drug can develop and increasingly larger doses are needed.

Question 21

Relapse

Answer 21

a return of symptoms after treatment has been given

A failed attempt at quitting

Question 22

antidepressants

Answer 22

A category of drugs used to treat depression