Depression

Question 1

What are the DSM-5 categories for depression?

Answer 1

• Major depressive disorder
• Persistant depressive disorder
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Question 2

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

• Reduced energy/lethargy, or psychomotor agitation (inability to stay still)
• Disruption to sleep and eating
• Aggression towards self and others

Question 3

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

• Lowered mood, feeling worthless or empty
• Anger towards self and others
• Low self-esteem, self-loathing

Question 4

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 4

• Poor concentration, difficultly making decisions
• Attention on negatives, ignoring positives
• Absolutist black and white thinking

Question 5

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 5

• Anxiety (caused by thoughts and compulsions)
• Often accompanied by depression
• Can involve guilt/disgust

Question 6

What are the two cognitive approaches to explaining depression? (name, not describe)

Answer 6

• Aaron Beck’s (1967) negative triad
• Albert Ellis’ (1962) ABC model

Question 7

Explain the negative triad as an explanation for depression

Answer 7

• Negative view of self, world and future
• Faulty information processing (focus on negative, black and white thinking)
• Negative self-schema

Question 8

Evaluate the negative triad as an explanation for depression

Answer 8

• Research support, negative triad causes cognitive vulnerability
• Application in prevention (identify vulnerability) and treatment (CBT)

Question 9

Explain the ABC model as an explanation for depression

Answer 9

• Activating event -> irrational belief -> consequences (depression)
• ‘Irrational belief’ not necessarily untrue/illogical, but prevents happiness

Question 10

Evaluate the ABC model as an explanation for depression

Answer 10

• Real application in REBT, can relieve symptoms
• Only explains reactive depression, not endogenous depression (no activating event)

Question 11

What are the three cognitive approaches to treating depression? (name, not describe)

Answer 11

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Beck’s cognitive therapy
• Ellis’ REBT (ABCDE - dispute & effect)

Question 12

Explain CBT as a treatment for depression

Answer 12

• Cognitive element: client and therapist jointly identify issues and create plan to tackle them
• Behavioural element: change irrational beliefs and behaviours

Question 13

Explain Beck’s cognitive therapy as a treatment for depression

Answer 13

• Identify and challenge negative triad
• Homework: client investigates reality of irrational beliefs & collects evidence to disprove them

Question 14

Explain Ellis’ REBT as a treatment for depression

Answer 14

• Rational emotive behavioural therapy
• Identify and challenge irrational beliefs through vigorous argument
• Empirical argument (is there evidence to support belief?)
• Logical argument (does belief follow from the facts?)

Question 15

Explain behavioural activation as a treatment for depression

Answer 15

• Isolation and avoidance of experiences exacerbate depression
• Decrease isolation/avoidance, encourage activities that lift mood -> treats depression

Question 16

Evaluate the cognitive treatments for depression (therapy)

Answer 16

• Evidence to support effectiveness
• Cost-effective, so are the first choice for treating depression
• May not work for more severe cases (though can work alongside medication)
• May not work for those with learning disabilities
• High relapse rates, doesn’t work long term

Question 17

Evaluate the biological approach to treating OCD (drug therapy)

Answer 17

• Evidence: more effective than placeboes
• Cost-effective, can be mass produced
• Non-disruptive to people’s lives
• Drugs cannot help everyone, CBT is more effective
• Potentially life-impacting side effects