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Clinical Psychology: Treating Depression with Exercise

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  1. Introduction to Major Depressive Disorder and Standard Treatments
    3 Kappaleet
  2. Exercise as a Treatment for Depression
    3 Kappaleet
  3. Comparing Exercise to Standard Treatments
    3 Kappaleet
  4. Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
    4 Kappaleet
  5. Understanding Study Biases in Clinical Research
    4 Kappaleet
Luku Edistyminen
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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), commonly known as clinical depression, is a serious mood disorder. It affects how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities. For your psychology entrance exams, you need to understand the specific symptoms, how the disorder is diagnosed, and the underlying causes.

Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder

To recognize MDD, psychologists look for a specific set of emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms.

Core Symptoms:

  • Depressed mood: Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day, nearly every day.
  • Anhedonia: A significantly reduced interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities. (Exam Tip: Memorize the term ”anhedonia,” as it frequently appears in clinical psychology exams).

Physical and Cognitive Symptoms:

  • Significant weight loss or gain, or changes in appetite.
  • Sleep disturbances (insomnia or sleeping too much).
  • Fatigue or loss of energy.
  • Psychomotor agitation (restlessness) or retardation (slowed movements).
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt.
  • Decreased ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions.
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation.

How is MDD Diagnosed?

In clinical psychology, diagnoses are typically made using the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).

For a formal diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, a patient must meet the following criteria:

  1. Timeframe: The patient must experience five or more of the symptoms listed above during the same two-week period.
  2. Core Requirement: At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or anhedonia (loss of interest/pleasure).
  3. Impairment: The symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
  4. Exclusions: The symptoms cannot be the result of substance abuse or another medical condition.

Causes of Major Depressive Disorder

Depression rarely has a single cause. In psychology, we use the Biopsychosocial Model to explain how different factors interact to cause disorders like MDD. You should be familiar with this model for your exams.

1. Biological Factors:

  • Genetics: A family history of depression increases the risk.
  • Brain Chemistry: Imbalances in neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, play a role in mood regulation.
  • Brain Structure: Changes in areas of the brain that regulate mood, memory, and emotion, such as a shrinking hippocampus, are often seen in chronic depression.

2. Psychological Factors:

  • Cognitive Distortions: Negative thought patterns about oneself, the world, and the future (often referred to as Beck’s Cognitive Triad).
  • Learned Helplessness: A belief that one has no control over their situation, leading to passive behavior and sadness.
  • Personality: Traits like high neuroticism or low self-esteem can increase vulnerability.

3. Social and Environmental Factors:

  • Stressful Life Events: Trauma, loss of a loved one, divorce, or financial problems.
  • Lack of Support: Isolation or poor social support networks.
  • Chronic Stress: Long-term exposure to stressful environments, such as poverty or an abusive household.

Understanding these foundational concepts of MDD is crucial. In the following topics, we will look at how standard treatments, and specifically exercise, target these biological and psychological factors to relieve symptoms.