Mood Disorders- Depression Notes

Cognitive Symptoms- feelings of suffocation, drowning, numb to the world, guilt, worthlessness, forgetfulness, indecisiveness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, suicidal thoughts

Behavioral Symptoms- sleeping changes, changes in appetite, slowed movement, persistent boredom, low energy, lack of motivation

Physical Symptoms- headaches, muscle aches and pains

Depressive Triad- tend to focus on most negative features of themselves, their environment, and their future

prevalence- 2-3% men, 5-9% women
Sometimes called "the common cold" of mental disorders

Discuss gender differences
Symptoms for men: alcohol/substance abuse, escapist behavior, inappropriate anger, violent/abusive, risky/reckless behavior

Relationship to suicide- 80% give warning signs

Suicide often does not occur when the person is in the depths of depression when energy and initiative is lacking. It often occurs with the person begins to rebound.

Causes-

Biological? 

Cognitive Theories

The way people think and perceive the world has an important impact on the way they feel.

A depressed person is often overly sensitive to obstacles to goal-directed activity, interprets triavial impediments as substantial, reads disparagement into innocuous statements by others, devalues himself/herself

Social Learning Theory:

People learn adaptive and maladaptive ways of managing stress and responding to life's problems with family, education, work, etc.

A child child who grows up in a pessimistic environment where discouragement is common and encouragement is rare- vulnerability to depression is high

The interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors

People often live with depression for 10+ years before seeking treatment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMlHkWKDwM

Online screener:

http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/depquiz.htm

Longer screener:

http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1308