Learning Goals And Answers
Depression part 1
1. How do we diagnose major depression, what are the subtypes and what are the general
characteristics of this disease and what are the most important cognitive theories?
a. What are the diagnostic criteria for major depression according to DSM-5?
Look at DSM-5
b. What are the diagnostic criteria for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
according to DSM-5?
Look at DSM-5
c. What are atypical, psychotic and melancholic features of major depression?
With melancholic features:
A. One of the following is present during the most severe period of the current episode:
1. Loss of pleasure in all, or almost all, activities.
2. Lack of reactivity to usually pleasurable stimuli (does not feel much better,
even temporarily, when something good happens).
B. Three (or more) of the following:
1. A distinct quality of depressed mood characterized by profound
despondency, despair, and/or moroseness or by so-called empty mood.
2. Depression that is regularly worse in the morning.
3. Early-morning awakening (i.e., at least 2 hours before usual awakening).
4. Marked psychomotor agitation or retardation.
5. Significant anorexia or weight loss.
6. Excessive or inappropriate guilt.
With psychotic features:
Delusions and/or
hallucinations are
present.
, With atypical features: This specifier can be applied when these features predominate
during the majority of days of the current or most recent major depressive episode or
persistent depressive disorder.
A. Mood reactivity (i.e., mood brightens in response to actual or potential positive
events).
B. Two (or more) of the following:
1. Significant weight gain or increase in appetite.
2. Hypersomnia.
3. Leaden paralysis (i.e., heavy, leaden feelings in arms or legs).
4. Along-standing pattern of interpersonal rejection sensitivity (not limited to
episodes of mood disturbance) that results in significant social or occupational
impairment.
Criteria are not met for “with melancholic features” or “with catatonia” during the same
episode.
d. What is the typical gender distribution in major depression?
Depression is more common among females (5.1%) than males (3.6%).
e. What are the most important risk factors for depression?
the risk of becoming depressed is increased by poverty, unemployment, life events such
as the death of a loved one or a relationship break-up, physical illness and problems caused
by alcohol and drug use.
f. What is the course of depression?
2. How do we treat major depression, specifically with psychological treatment?
a. What are the most important cognitive theories for major depression and how can they
be distinguished?
Hopelessness theory (Abramson) & Beck’s theory
There is one striking difference between these two theories and to understand this
difference it is useful to distinguish between cognitive processes and cognitive products.
Cognitive processes involve the operations of the cognitive system such as informational
encoding, retrieval, and attentional allocation.
Cognitive products are the end result of the cognitive system’s information-processing
operations and consist of the cognitions and thoughts that the individual experiences.
Inferences about cause, consequences, and self, as featured in the hopelessness theory, are
examples of cognitive products.
According to hopelessness theory, depressive and non-depressive cognition differ in
content (product) (e.g., stable, global vs. unstable, specific causal attributions for
negative events) but not in process.
In contrast, Beck’s original theory emphasizes that depressive and nondepressive
cognition differs not only in content but also in process. Beck suggested that the
Depression part 1
1. How do we diagnose major depression, what are the subtypes and what are the general
characteristics of this disease and what are the most important cognitive theories?
a. What are the diagnostic criteria for major depression according to DSM-5?
Look at DSM-5
b. What are the diagnostic criteria for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
according to DSM-5?
Look at DSM-5
c. What are atypical, psychotic and melancholic features of major depression?
With melancholic features:
A. One of the following is present during the most severe period of the current episode:
1. Loss of pleasure in all, or almost all, activities.
2. Lack of reactivity to usually pleasurable stimuli (does not feel much better,
even temporarily, when something good happens).
B. Three (or more) of the following:
1. A distinct quality of depressed mood characterized by profound
despondency, despair, and/or moroseness or by so-called empty mood.
2. Depression that is regularly worse in the morning.
3. Early-morning awakening (i.e., at least 2 hours before usual awakening).
4. Marked psychomotor agitation or retardation.
5. Significant anorexia or weight loss.
6. Excessive or inappropriate guilt.
With psychotic features:
Delusions and/or
hallucinations are
present.
, With atypical features: This specifier can be applied when these features predominate
during the majority of days of the current or most recent major depressive episode or
persistent depressive disorder.
A. Mood reactivity (i.e., mood brightens in response to actual or potential positive
events).
B. Two (or more) of the following:
1. Significant weight gain or increase in appetite.
2. Hypersomnia.
3. Leaden paralysis (i.e., heavy, leaden feelings in arms or legs).
4. Along-standing pattern of interpersonal rejection sensitivity (not limited to
episodes of mood disturbance) that results in significant social or occupational
impairment.
Criteria are not met for “with melancholic features” or “with catatonia” during the same
episode.
d. What is the typical gender distribution in major depression?
Depression is more common among females (5.1%) than males (3.6%).
e. What are the most important risk factors for depression?
the risk of becoming depressed is increased by poverty, unemployment, life events such
as the death of a loved one or a relationship break-up, physical illness and problems caused
by alcohol and drug use.
f. What is the course of depression?
2. How do we treat major depression, specifically with psychological treatment?
a. What are the most important cognitive theories for major depression and how can they
be distinguished?
Hopelessness theory (Abramson) & Beck’s theory
There is one striking difference between these two theories and to understand this
difference it is useful to distinguish between cognitive processes and cognitive products.
Cognitive processes involve the operations of the cognitive system such as informational
encoding, retrieval, and attentional allocation.
Cognitive products are the end result of the cognitive system’s information-processing
operations and consist of the cognitions and thoughts that the individual experiences.
Inferences about cause, consequences, and self, as featured in the hopelessness theory, are
examples of cognitive products.
According to hopelessness theory, depressive and non-depressive cognition differ in
content (product) (e.g., stable, global vs. unstable, specific causal attributions for
negative events) but not in process.
In contrast, Beck’s original theory emphasizes that depressive and nondepressive
cognition differs not only in content but also in process. Beck suggested that the
