Mood disorders

clinical psychology - chapter 2

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

• 21-item self-report measure

• assesses attitudes and symptoms of depressive disorder: guilt, weight loss etc.

• each question has at least 4 statements, choose best fit

• each statement has a score 0-4

• looks at the past week or two

examples:

• “I don’t enjoy things the way I used to” (1)

• “I don’t get real satisfaction out of anything anymore” (2)

scoring:

• 10 minimum for diagnosis

• 19-29 = moderate

• 30 or more = severe

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) evaluation

PROS:

• Evidence suggests that it’s reliable and valid (has been used for decades) 

• Quick to administer → get a quick diagnosis & treatment 

• Reliable, standardised

• Quantitative data → easy to analyse & compare progress

CONS:

• Self report so may not be reliable patient may lie → reducing validity 

• Reductionist → patients aren’t able to explain how they feel (fixed choice)

• cultural differences → created in a western culture, symptoms of depressive disorders may vary depending on cultures

Biological, biochemical, explanation of depressive disorders

• dopamine → motivation and pleasure (effects of low dopamine correlate with symptoms)

• antidepressants increase dopamine → supports theory of low dopamine being a cause

• serotonin → neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, appetite, mood, anxiety (low leads to disruptions in the previous, which are symptoms)

• SSRI’s increase serotonin → supports theory of serotonin being a cause

Biological, genetic, explanation of depressive disorders