Depression Reading Answers

Depression Reading Answers are the part of IELTS reading test. The depression reading passage has a total of 13 questions. There are 3 question types: Locating Information, Matching Features and Summary Completion. We have given the passage, questions, and answers with explanation. For your better understanding, we have given the answers in a table format. 

1. E	5. B	9. I	13. G
2. F	6. C	10. B
3. C	7. E	11. H
4. A	8. G	12. D

Reading Passage

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Depression 

A. It is often more difficult for outsiders and non-sufferers to understand mental rather than physical illness in others. While it may be easy for us to sympathise with individuals living with the burden of a physical illness or disability, there is often a stigma attached to being mentally ill, or a belief that such conditions only exist in individuals who lack the strength of character to cope with the real world. The pressures of modern life seem to have resulted in an increase in cases of emotional disharmony and government initiatives in many countries have, of late, focussed on increasing the general public’s awareness and sympathy towards sufferers of mental illness and related conditions.

B. Clinical depression, or ‘major depressive disorder’, a state of extreme sadness or despair, is said to affect up to almost 20% of the population at some point in their lives prior to the age of 40. Studies have shown that this disorder is the leading cause of disability in North America; in the UK almost 3 million people are said to be diagnosed with some form of depression at any one time, and experts believe that as many as a further 9 million other cases may go undiagnosed. World Health Organisation projections indicate that clinical depression may become the second most significant cause of disability’ on a global scale by 2020. However, such figures are not unanimously supported, as some experts believe that the diagnostic criteria used to identify՛ the condition are not precise enough, leading to other types of depression being wrongly classified as ‘clinical’.

C. Many of us may experience periods of low morale or mood and feelings of dejection, as a natural human response to negative events in our lives such as bereavement, redundancy or breakdown of a relationship. Some of us may even experience periods of depression and low levels of motivation which have no tangible reason or trigger. Clinical depression is classified as an on-going state of negativity, with no tangible cause, where sufferers enter a spiral of persistent negative thinking, often experiencing irritability, perpetual tiredness and listlessness. Sufferers of clinical depression are said to be at higher risk of resorting to drug abuse or even suicide attempts than the rest of the population.

D. Clinical depression is generally diagnosed when an individual is observed to exhibit an excessively depressed mood and/or ‘anhedonia’ – an inability to experience pleasure from positive experiences such as enjoying a meal or pleasurable social interaction – for a period of two weeks or more, in conjunction with five or more additional recognised symptoms. These additional symptoms may include overwhelming feelings of sadness; inability to sleep, or conversely, excessive sleeping; feelings of guilt, nervousness, abandonment or fear; inability to concentrate; interference with memory capabilities; fixation with death or extreme change in eating habits and associated weight gain or loss.

E. Clinical depression was originally solely attributed to chemical imbalance in the brain, and while anti-depressant drugs which work to optimise levels of ‘feel good’ chemicals – serotonin and norepinephrine – are still commonly prescribed today, experts now believe that onset of depression may be caused by a number, and often combination of, physiological and socio-psychological factors. Treatment approaches vary quite dramatically from place to place and are often tailored to an individual’s particular situation; however, some variation of a combination of medication and psychotherapy is most commonly used. The more controversial electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be used where initial approaches fail. In extreme cases, where an individual exhibits behaviour which Indicates that they may cause physical harm to themselves, psychiatric hospitalisation may be necessary as a form of intensive therapy.

F. Some recent studies, such as those published by the Archives of General Psychiatry, hold that around a quarter of diagnosed clinical depression cases should actually be considered as significant but none-the-less ordinary sadness and maladjustment to coping with trials in life, indicating that in such cases, psychotherapy rather than treatment through medication is required. Recovery as a result of psychotherapy tends, in most cases, to be a slower process than improvements related to medication; however, improvements as a result of psychological treatment, once achieved, have been observed in some individuals to be more long term and sustainable than those attained through prescription drugs. Various counselling approaches exist, though all focus on enhancing the subject’s ability to function on a personal and interpersonal level. Sessions involve encouragement of an individual to view themselves and their relationships in a more positive manner, with the intention of helping patients to replace negative thoughts with a more positive outlook.

G. It is apparent that susceptibility to depression can run in families. However, it remains unclear as to whether this is truly an inherited genetic trait or whether biological and environmental factors common to family members may be at the root of the problem. In some cases, sufferers of depression may need to unlearn certain behaviours and attitudes they have established in life and develop new coping strategies designed to help them deal with problems they may encounter, undoing patterns of destructive behaviour they may have observed in their role models and acquired for themselves.

Questions

Question 1 – 5  

Reading Passage 1 has seven parts, labelled A to G.
Write the correct letters A–G on your answer sheet next to 1–5.
Which paragraph has the information below?

1. Details of treatment alternatives for worst-case scenario depression __________ .

2.  Information regarding cases where drug treatment is inappropriate __________.

3. Details of how those diagnosed with depression may be more vulnerable than other members of society _________.

4. Information about society’s attitudes to depression and similar illnesses_______.

5. Information regarding why estimates of the incidence of future growth in cases may be overly exaggerated __________.

Question 6 – 8 

Choose THREE letters A-G.
Write your answers in boxes 6-8 on your answer sheet.
(NB, Your answers may be given in any order)

Q) Which THREE of the following statements are true of depression?

A. Governments have generally failed to take action to educate the general public about the condition.

B. The highest reported number of cases is in the USA.

C. In Britain, it is likely that there are more individuals who live with the condition without the help of a doctor than those being officially treated.

D. Clinical depression may be triggered by divorce.

E. Lethargy may be one of the symptoms of depression.

F. Prescribed pharmaceuticals have radically changed over recent years.

G. Approaches to treating depression are not universal.

Question 9 – 13 

Complete the summary of paragraphs F and G with the list of words A-L below.
Write the correct letter A-L in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

Whilst recovery through counselling rather than medicine may be more 9.________________ , results once achieved may have more 10. ________________ with some patients. Counselling sessions are geared towards improving the subject’s relationship with others and their own 11._______________, encouraging sufferers of depression to take on a more 12. _______________ outlook. The extent to which genetic disposition and sociological factors impact on state of mind is 13._________________. Many people undergoing counselling therapy do so with the purpose of unlearning negative behaviour and reactions.

Answers with explanations for Depression Reading Passage

The answers with proper explanation are given below.
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in regular font style explains the answer in detail.)

1. Answer E
Explanation: The paragraph E, states,” the more controversial electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be used where initial approaches fail. In extreme cases, where an individual exhibits behaviour which indicates that they may cause physical harm to themselves, psychiatric hospitalization may be necessary as a form of intensive therapy.” This passage explains that hospitalization can be done in the worst case symptoms in the patients.

2. Answer F 
Explanation: In Paragraph F, “some recent studies, such as those published by the Archives of General Psychiatry, hold that around a quarter of diagnosed clinical depression cases should actually be considered as significant but none-the-less ordinary sadness and maladjustment to coping with trials in life, indicating that in such cases, psychotherapy rather than treatment through medication is required.” Thes line infer that not all cases needs drugs to cure depression. Alternatives like Psychotherapy can be carried out.

3. Answer C
Explanation: In the Paragraph C, “sufferers of clinical depression are said to be at higher risk of resorting to drug abuse or even suicide attempts than the rest of the population.” These lines indicates that depression sufferers are more prone to drug abuse or suicidal thoughts than the other people.

4. Answer A 
Explanation: From the Paragraph A, “there is often a stigma attached to being mentally ill or a belief that such conditions only exist in individuals who lack the strength of character to cope with the real world.” it is clear that how society treats or sees the people with depression.

5. Answer B 
Explanation: If you read Paragraph B,” World Health Organisation projections indicate that clinical depression may become the second most significant cause of disability’ on a global scale by 2020. However, such figures are not unanimously supported, as some experts believe that the diagnostic criteria used to identify՛ the condition are not precise enough, leading to other types of depression being wrongly classified as ‘clinical’. you can conclude that how the numbers cannot figure exact numbers for clinical depression.

6. Answer C
Explanation: Paragraph B  “studies have shown that this disorder is the leading cause of disability in North America; in the UK almost 3 million people are said to be diagnosed with some form of depression at any one time, and experts believe that as many as a further 9 million other cases may go undiagnosed.” This paragraph clearly supports the option C that in Britain many are living without treating.

7. Answer E
Explanation: Paragraph C,” clinical depression is classified as an on-going state of negativity, with no tangible cause, where sufferers enter a spiral of persistent negative thinking, often experiencing irritability, perpetual tiredness, and listlessness.”  From this we can conclude that term tiredness is paraphrased as lethargy.

8. Answer G
Explanation: From the paragraph E, “treatment approaches vary quite dramatically from place to place and are often tailored to an individual’s particular situation; however, some variation of a combination of medication and psychotherapy is most commonly used.” We can understand that treatment options are not the same across the globe and depends on person.

9. Answer I 
Explanation: The 3rd line of Paragraph F  states,” recovery as a result of psychotherapy tends, in most cases, to be a slower process than improvements related to medication” .The term slower should be understood as gradual and hence the correct answer is gradual.

10. Answer B
Explanation: Paragraph F  states,” improvements as a result of psychological treatment, once achieved, have been observed in some individuals to be more long term and sustainable than those attained through prescription drugs.” From these lines we can understand that psychological treatment helps in long term results. The terms long term and sustainable should be inferred as longevity.

11. Answer H 
Explanation: In Paragraph F few lines convey that “various counselling approaches exist, though all focus on enhancing the subject’s ability to function on a personal and interpersonal level.” The terms personal and interpersonal level  is paraphrased as Sel-image.

12. Answer D
Explanation: When you read paragraph F, “sessions involve encouragement of an individual to view themselves and their relationships in a more positive manner, with the intention of helping patients to replace negative thoughts with a more positive outlook.” it is clear that “replace negative thoughts with a more positive outlook” can be taken as Optimistic.

13. Answer G 
Explanation: In the paragraph G  states,“however, it remains unclear as to whether this is truly an inherited genetic trait or whether biological and environmental factors common to family members may be at the root of the problem.”  The term unclear to be taken as inconclusive.

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