Psychology Lecture Notes

Dance Therapy utilizes movement alongside psychology.

To help in understanding why the practice is about, it felt necessary to attend lectures in the area of clinical psychology. The lectures are not aimed at students looking to fulfill a career in the therapeutic arts area but in research on the practice, students have backgrounds in psychology.

One particular lecture that stood out was one on Depression.

Below are some jottings made during the lecture.*

The notes show the various signs of depression and ways of treatment for patients suffering from it.



Unipolar Disorder

happy<———————>unhappy

   * Bipolar

Depression

   * Sad, low mood

   * Reduced interest

   * Abnormality of mood

      * time + persistence

         * At least 2 weeks for majority of time

   * Constellation of symptoms

Variations in mood are normal.

Emotional

  * sadness

   * irritability

   * restlessness

Behavioral

   * sleep (more or less)

   * weight (gain or loss)

   * fatigue

   * isolation

   * lack of motivation

   * neglect appearance

Cognitive

   * Poor concentration

   * Worthlessness

   * Suicidal tendencies

Biological

Psychological

Diathesis Model

Symptoms can be diagnosed, signs are observatory

Anhedonia - lack of seeking pleasure

Behavioral Treatment

 * Client reviews changes in life since mood shift

   * Walk/run for client if they haven’t done much of that

      * Get the endorphins going

         * Natural anti depressant

Cognitive Treatment

   * Identify negative thoughts associated with depression

      * Understand connection between thoughts & feelings

Pharmacotherapy

*could not acquire the Powerpoint presentation