depression

what is the simple definition of depression?

changes to mood

what are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

• activity levels

• disruption to sleep and eating behaviour

• aggression and self-harm

activity levels

• sufferers typically have reduced levels of energy making them lethargic

• in some cases the opposite may occur - they struggle to relax and sit still

  • this is known as psychomotor agitation

disruption to sleep and eating behaviour

• may experience insomnia (reduced sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleep)

• appetite and eating may increase or decrease, leading to weight gain or loss

aggression and self-harm

• sufferers are often irritable, and in some cases can become verbally or physically aggressive

  • could show verbal aggression by ending a relationship or quitting job

  • could show physical aggression directed towards self, including self-harm in form of cutting or suicide attempts

what are the emotional characteristics of depression?

• lowered mood

• anger

• lowered self-esteem

lowered mood

have a more pronounced feeling of sadness, often describing themselves as lethargic and empty

anger

frequently experience anger which can be directed towards self or others

lowered self-esteem

sufferers tend to report reduced self-esteem which can be quite extreme in some cases, e.g. having a sense of hatred towards themselves

what are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

• poor concentration

• attending to and dwelling on the negative

• absolutist thinking

poor concentration

sufferer may find themselves unable to stick with a task or hard to make decisions they would usually find straightforward

attending to and dwelling on the negative

sufferers are more inclined to pay attention to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives

• also have a bias towards recalling unhappy events than happy

absolutist thinking

sufferers tend to have an "all-or-nothing" mindset - describe feeling and circumstances in concrete, absolute terms