Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I The current model for depressive disorders and its impact on clinical management
- Part II The diagnosis and management of melancholic and psychotic depression
- Part III An introduction to non-melancholic depression
- 7 Our model of non-melancholic depression
- 8 Self-esteem
- 9 Personality style and functioning
- 10 Identifying the constructs to non-melancholic depression: stress
- 11 Resilience and vulnerability
- 12 Psychological interventions for non-melancholic depression
- Part IV Modelling and managing the non-melancholic depressive disorders
- Appendix 1 The DMI-18 and the DMI-10
- Appendix 2 The CORE system of measuring psychomotor disturbance
- Appendix 3 The temperament and personality measure
- References
- Index
10 - Identifying the constructs to non-melancholic depression: stress
from Part III - An introduction to non-melancholic depression
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I The current model for depressive disorders and its impact on clinical management
- Part II The diagnosis and management of melancholic and psychotic depression
- Part III An introduction to non-melancholic depression
- 7 Our model of non-melancholic depression
- 8 Self-esteem
- 9 Personality style and functioning
- 10 Identifying the constructs to non-melancholic depression: stress
- 11 Resilience and vulnerability
- 12 Psychological interventions for non-melancholic depression
- Part IV Modelling and managing the non-melancholic depressive disorders
- Appendix 1 The DMI-18 and the DMI-10
- Appendix 2 The CORE system of measuring psychomotor disturbance
- Appendix 3 The temperament and personality measure
- References
- Index
Summary
As noted in Chapter 1, the binary model of depression viewed one ‘type’ of depression (i. e. reactive or neurotic depression) as essentially being a response to a major or salient life-event stressor. By contrast, the other type of depression (endogenous or melancholic) was seen as a condition that occurred without any such trigger, with the term ‘endogenous’ emphasising that the depression came from ‘within’ rather than from stressors and the environment. We now turn to examine the role of life-event stressors in those with non-melancholic disorders. Life-event stressors may, theoretically, be all-explanatory and contribute totally to the onset of the depressive disorder. Terms such as ‘reactive depression’ and ‘adjustment disorder with depressed mood’ emphasise the contribution of a life event and do not recognise any predisposing or other factor. While life events may vary in their magnitude, one could posit that most of these ‘pure state’ reactions are likely to be in response to cataclysmic or extremely severe depressing events, and where it might be imagined that most people would develop such a depressive condition.
In many ways, these reactions are extensions of ‘normal depression’. Studies of non-clinical groups suggest that most people experience depressed moods following relevant triggering events but that, for most these states last only minutes, hours, or days. Thus, most human beings experience a spontaneous remission of such moods with the mood state self-remitting, either naturally or in response to some (presumed) positive outcome.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Modelling and Managing the Depressive DisordersA Clinical Guide, pp. 85 - 88Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005