How do we teach concepts, contexts and content in a systematic, manageable and logical way? If you haven't tried teaching the themantic way yet (focus on concepts (themes) plus content (semantic memory), this is the perfect unit to start. It covers Major Depressive Disorder in the Health and Well-being unit. Also, are your students tired of lugging heavy textbooks to and from school? Or do you want the information laid out in a simple ebook form, rather than having to navigate a website? Our eBook chapters of our textbook could be the answer. In this chapter, we’ll investigate potential causes and therapies for depression. To study the origins, we’ll begin by looking at specific biological factors, like serotonin and the serotonin transporter gene. We’ll then look at the influence of different thought patterns and environmental factors. If we know about risk factors for depression, we can determine the protective factors. This is why psychologists seek to understand the causes of depression so they can develop targeted therapies. With this in mind, you’ll learn about three common therapies – SSRI medication, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychoanalysis. However, it’s important to realise cultural differences in approaches to health and well-being. Therefore, we’ll finish the chapter with a study of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to compare different cultural approaches to mental health. This chapter covers content relevant to mental health problems in the context of Health and well-being. It also reviews numerous biological approach topics and the diathesis-stress model. The extensions focus on the key concept of bias to develop your knowledge of biases and how to use these to evaluate research. Approach: Biological Context: Health and Well-being (Major Depressive Disorder) ............ Download this 14 lesson chapter as a PDF eBook. LESSONS 1. Biological Explanations 1.1 Neurotransmitters 1.2 The Serotonin Transporter Gene 1.3 The Diathesis-Stress Model 2. Cognitive Models of Depression 2.1 Beck’s Cognitive Theory 2.2 Rumination 3. Environmental Factors 3.1 ACEs 3.2 Acculturation 4 Biological Treatments 4.1 SSRIs 4.2 Sleep, Diet and Exercise 5. Psychological Treatments 5.1 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) 5.2 CBT vs Psychoanalysis 6. Cultural Differences 6.1 Culture and Prevalence Rates 6.2 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) 6.3 Herbal Remedies
