Depression

Question 1

Define depression

Answer 1

A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels

Question 2

What are the 4 DSM-5 categories of depression?

Answer 2

1. Major depressive disorder- severe but short term
2. Persistent depressive disorder- long term or recurring
3. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder- childhood temper tantrum
4. Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder- change in mood during/before menstruation

Question 3

What are four behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

1. Activity levels
   -Psychomotor agitation: fidgeting, pacing
   -Lack of energy
2. Sleep: change in patterns
3. Eating behaviour: more or less
4. Aggression and self harm

Question 4

What are three emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 4

1. Lowered mood- feeling hollow and empty
2. Anger- at others or self
3. Lowered self esteem- self loathing

Question 5

What are three cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 5

1. Poor concentration
2. Attending to the negative
3. Absolutist thinking- black and white thinking

Question 6

What are the key assumptions of how cognitive psychologists explain depression?

Answer 6

1. Distorted and irrational thinking
2. How one thinks about the problem rather than the problem itself
3. Individuals overcome psychological disorders by learning to change their cognition

Question 7

What are the three parts of Beck’s cognitive vulnerability explanation?

Answer 7

1. Faulty information processing
2. Negative self schemas
3. The negative triad

Question 8

What are the four examples of faulty information processing?

Answer 8

1. Fundamental errors in logic
2. Selectively attend to the negative
3. Blow small problems out of proportion
4. Black and white thinking

Question 9

What are negative self-schemas?

Answer 9

Negative beliefs and expectations about ourselves developed through experiences

Question 10

What is the negative triad?

Answer 10

-Depressed people feel that way because they are biased towards the negative

Beck thought they get trapped in a cycle of negativity about 3 main aspects:
>Negative view of the self
>Negative views of the world
>Negative views of the future

Question 11

What causes anxiety and depression according to Ellis?

Answer 11

Irrational thoughts (any thoughts stopping our happiness and freedom from pain)

Question 12

What model did Ellis use to explain depression?

Answer 12

The ABC model:

Activating Event- our internal thoughts are triggered by external events
Beliefs- depressed people have irrational beliefs
Consequences- both emotional and behavioural

Question 13

Give a real-life example of the ABC model

Answer 13

A: I get in a car accident
B: it must have been my fault
C: I feel guilty and sad

Question 14

Define musturbation and utopianism as irrational beliefs

Answer 14

Musturbation: an irrational belief that you must be perfect in order to have value

Utopianism: an irrational belief that the world is a perfect place

Question 15

Why is it difficult to establish cause and effect relationships with cognitive explanations of depression?

Answer 15

Depressed people have negative thoughts, but they may not cause depression as it is difficult to test ethically without cofounding variables

Question 16

What research support is there for Beck’s cognitive explanation?

Answer 16

Clark and Beck- found faulty info processing, negative self schema and the negative triad all precede and pre-dispose depression

Cohen et al- longitudinal study following 473 adolescences found cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression

Question 17

What practical applications has the cognitive explanation of depression got?

Answer 17

Cognitive treatment of CBT developed from Beck’s theory and challenges those cognitive aspects of depression and has found to be effective

Question 18

How are Beck’s and Ellis’ explanation limited?

Answer 18

Not able to explain all aspects of depression, only simple symptoms

Question 19

How are Ellis’ explanations limited?

Answer 19

Explains depression triggered by a certain event but not all depression types have obvious events that led to irrational beliefs

Question 20

What alternative explanations may there be to explaining depression?

Answer 20

The biological approach suggests that biological structures, for example genes and neurotransmitters cause depression

Question 21

What is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)?

Answer 21

A psychological talking therapy that uses both cognitive and behavioural techniques to treat maladaptive behaviours

Question 22

How is CBT both cognitive and behavioural?

Answer 22

It challenges irrational or negative thoughts and putting more effective behaviours into place

Irrational thoughts: dysfunctional thoughts that interfere with a person’s happiness and lead to psych disorders

Behavioural activation: working with depressed people to gradually decrease avoidance and isolation. Involves increasing engagement with activities that improve mood. This engagement is then reinforced by the therapist

Question 23

How is Beck’s CBT related to his negative triad?

Answer 23

It identifies automatic negative thoughts about the self, world and future and challenges them

Question 24

How does Beck challenge the irrational thoughts?

Answer 24

-Identify negative thoughts: ‘thought catching’
-Data gathering: record positive experiences
-Patient as scientist: find evidence to show beliefs are faulty

Question 25

How does Ellis develop his ABC model to treat depression?

Answer 25

D: disputing irrational beliefs through vigorous argument E: effect

Question 26

What are the two types disputing in Ellis' REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy)?

Answer 26

1. Empirical argument: disputing whether there is evidence to support the irrational belief 2. Logical argument: disputing whether the thought logically follows on from the fact/activating event

Question 27

What is a strength of the cognitive approach to treating depression?

Answer 27

It takes both cognitive and behavioural approaches into consideration, despite emphasising the role of cognitive thought

Question 28

What is another strength of the cognitive approach to treating depression?

Answer 28

REBT has shown to be an effective form of CBT, helping less people feel the effects of depression

Question 29

What is a limitation of the cognitive approach to treating depression?

Answer 29

It requires motivation, so patients with severe depression may not engage with CBT so may be ineffective

Question 30

What is another limitation of the cognitive approach to treating depression?

Answer 30

Effectiveness may not be due to CBT being good, but due to the clients relationship with the therapist