Characteristics of depression

What type of disorder is depression?

a mood disorder

A mood disorder?

the term used to explain disorders that affect the emotional state of those suffering from them i.e. - the current emotional mood is distorted or inappropriate to the circumstances

What is depression characterised by?

low mood and low energy levels

The 4 categories of depression in the DSM-5?

major depressive disorder, persistent-depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Major depressive disorder?

severe but short term

Persistent depressive disorder?

long term or recuring depression including sustained major depression

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder?

childhood temper tantrums

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation

The 9 characteristics of depression?

poor concentration, lowered mood, lower self-esteem, disrupted sleep and eating, attending to and dwelling on the negatives, anger, aggression and self-harm, activity levels and absolutist thinking

Poor concentration?

individuals struggle to stick to tasks and also find it difficult to make decisions

Lowered mood?

feelings of sadness much stronger than ordinary daily sadness - individuals often feel worthless and like they are empty inside

Lower self-esteem?

refers to how much you like yourself and in depressed individuals they do not like themselves at all - in extreme cases, this can include feelings of self-loathing

Disrupted sleep and eating?

sufferers may often experience insomnia or wake up prematurely. Secondly, the appetite is often affected and increases or decreases resulting in weight loss or gain

Attending to and dwelling on the negatives?

people are more inclined to pay attention to the negative things when they are depressed - they are also more likely to recall negative events than healthy individuals

Anger?

individuals often feel irritable and suffer from intense anger which is frequently directed at themselves but may be towards others

Aggression and self-harm?

sometimes depressed individuals become verbally or physically aggressive - this may also be directed towards themselves

Activity levels?

people often feel like they have no energy (lethargic) and can sometimes be so severe they do not get out of bed

Absolutist thinking?

thinking in a very ‘black and white’ manner - being unable to see that a situation is not all good or not all bad, so if a situation is not going well they tend to believe it is a complete disaster

Emotional characteristics of depression (3)?

lowered mood, anger and lowered self esteem

Behavioural characteristics of depression (3)?

activity levels, disruption to sleep and eating behaviour and aggression and self harm

Cognitive characteristics of depression (3)?

poor concentration, attending to and dwelling on the negative and absolutist thinking