Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Learning Outcomes
BIOLOGICAL
Numberger and Gershon (1982) used 7 twin
studies on major depression
MZ twins had 65% concordance rate, 14% for DZ
twins. Supports genetic predisposition
hypothesis.
Important to consider interaction with
environment skill
Comorbidity with anxiety, eating disorders, etc.,
makes conclusions difficult
Cognition
Beck (1976) Cognitive theory of depression
Negative cognitive triad. Negative views of self,
world and future
Depression is caused by inaccurate cognitive
responses. Negative thinking and schemas.
Contrary to other models where negative thinking
is a symptom.
Related to diathesis-stress model. Negative
(depressogenic) schemas are the diathesis, negative
life events are the stresses that active schemas.
Sociocultural
Brown & Harris (1978) Social factors in depression.
Aim: how depression could be linked to social factors and
stressful life events
Procedure: 458 women were surveyed about stress and
depression, interviewed about particular events/coping
Results: 8% had been depressed in past year, 90% of depressed
had experienced negative life event. Working class had higher
rate than middle class with children. Lack of support, 3 young
children, unemployment were identified as vulnerabilities.
Implications: demonstrated social factors involved in depression
and need to be considered. Gender biased sample
Evaluation: generally supported that social stressors (war,
poverty, urbanisation, unemployment) play a role in mental
health. Cultural expectations are also important.
Abnormality
An abnormality is difficult to define and diagnose because it is subjective
and is based on symptoms instead of biological tests. Rosenhahn &
Seligman (1984) Suggest seven criteria for abnormal
Suffering experience of stress or discomfort
Maladaptiveness engaging in behaviours that make life more difficult
Irrationality incomprehensible or unable to communicate in a
reasonable manner
Unpredictability acting ways that are unexpected for self or buy others
Vividness/unconventionality experiences that are different from most
Observer discomfort acting in a way that is difficult to watch or
embarrassing
Violation of standards breaking accepted moral/ethical standards of a
culture
Rosenhan (1973)
Aim: Test the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses
Method:
Field experiment
Description: five men and three women who were normal went to 12
different psychiatric hospitals to get admission by stating that they had
been hearing voices.
7 of them = diagnosed with schizophrenia and it took an average of 19
days before they were discharged and seven of them were labeled as
schizophrenic in remission. Also,
Rosenhan wanted to see if abnormal patients would be able to be
classified as abnormal and out of 41 of these abnormal patients, 19 were
suspected to be frauds by some of the psychiatrists
Conclusion: Not possible to distinguish between sane and insane in
psychiatric hospitals and theres a lack of scientific evidence on which
medical diagnoses can be made.
Strengths: Gives insight to the lack of reliability in psychiatric diagnoses
Limitations: Ethical issues such as deceit to the psychiatrists
Prevalence of Depression
Prevalence is the percentage of a population affected by a
disorder during a specific time. The IB does not differentiate
prevalence and incidence
National Institute of Mental Health currently reports a 12month prevalence of 6.7% in US adults.
16.5% lifetime (13.2% males, 20.2% females [Kessler et al.
2005])
Women are 70% more likely to experience depression than
men
Blacks are 40% more like
Age is a major factor: 18-25 year is 200% more like than
someone over 60 for 12-month period.
Variations across cultures
Andrade and Caraveo (2005) found 3% in Japan
Poongothai et al. (2009) found 15.9% in South India
Prevalence of Depression
Prevalence is the percentage of a population affected by a disorder during a specific time. The IB does not differentiate
prevalence and incidence
National Institute of Mental Health currently reports a 12-month prevalence of 6.7% in US adults.
16.5% lifetime (13.2% males, 20.2% females [Kessler et al. 2005])
Women are 70% more likely to experience depression than men
Blacks are 40% more like
Age is a major factor: 18-25 year is 200% more like than someone over 60 for 12-month period.
Variations across cultures
Andrade and Caraveo (2005) found 3% in Japan
Poongothai et al. (2009) found 15.9% in South India
Cultural Variation in Prevalence
Weisman et al. (1996) studied 10 countries
19% in Lebanon, Paris 16.4%, 2.9% in Korea, 1.5% in Taiwan. Women higher than men in all countries.
Cultural differences, stigma, methodology may account for differences
Marsella et al. (2002) argues that depression started as a topic of Western medicine.
Rates are increasing throughout the world. May be most common psychiatric problem in world.
Why cultural variations?
Dutton (2009) found that differences could be due to stress, living standards or reporting bias.
War, discrimination, unstable politics, crime, etc. differ.
Sartorius et al. (1983) found differences in stigma of disorders.
More likely to find physical pain in Middle East or China. Neurasthenia more common in China.
Marsella (1995) asserts that urban life has increased stress. May be a cause of increase in depression.