Types of behavioural characteristics of depression
Activity levels, disruption to sleep and eating behaviour and aggression and self harm
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Behavioural aspects: Activity levels
Typically sufferers of depression have reduced levels of energy. In some cases it can lead to the opposite effect - known as psychomotor agitation
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Behavioural aspects: Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
Sufferers may experience reduced sleep (insomnia) or an increased need for sleep (hypersomnia). Similarly, appetite and eating may increase or decrease, leading to weight gain or loss
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Behavioural aspects: Aggression and self-harm
Sufferers of depression are often irritable, and in some cases they can become verbally or physically aggressive. Depression can also lead to physical aggression directed to the self
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Types of emotional characteristics of depression
Lowered mood, anger, lowered self-esteem
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Emotional aspects: Lowered mood
Patients often describe themselves as 'worthless' and 'empty'
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Emotional aspects: Anger
Although sufferers tend to experience more negative emotions and fewer positive ones during episodes of depression, this experience is not limited to sadness. Sufferers of depression can also experience anger
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Emotional aspects: Lowered self-esteem
Sufferers of depression tend to report reduced self-esteem, in other words they like themselves less than usual
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Types of cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration, attending to and dwelling on the negative and absolutist thinking
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Cognitive aspects: Poor concentration
The sufferer may find themselves unable to stick with a task as they usually would, or they might find it hard to make decisions that they would normally find straightforward
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Cognitive aspects: Attending to and dwelling on the negative
When suffering a depressive episode people are inclined to pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives
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Cognitive aspects: Absolutist thinking
Most situations are not all-good or all-bad, but when a sufferer is depressed they tend to think in these terms. They sometimes call this 'black and white thinking'
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Behavioural aspects: Activity levels
Back
Typically sufferers of depression have reduced levels of energy. In some cases it can lead to the opposite effect - known as psychomotor agitation
Card 3
Front
Behavioural aspects: Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
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