cognitive explanations + treatment for depressoin

• what are the two cognitive explanations for depression?

  Beck's negative triad

  Ellis's ABC model
• schema

  mental framework based on expectations
• negative schema

  automatically negative cognitive biases leading people to process information in a biased, self defeating manner
• 3 parts to negative cognitive vulnerability suggested by Beck

  cognitive biases: eg. overgeneralisation, catastrophizing, personalisation

  negative self schema: processing information in a biased, self-defeating manner

  negative triad: self, future, world
• faulty information processing

  when depressed people attend to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives
• negative self schema

  interpreting all information about ourselves in a negative way
• Beck's negative triad

  negative view of the world

  negative view of the self

  negative view of the future
• name two strengths of Beck's negative triad as an explanation for depression

  RESEARCH SUPPORT:

  - Clark + Beck (1999) concluded that cognitive vulnerabilities precede depression which was backed by Cohen et al. (2019) in another study

  REAL WORLD APPLICATION:

  - applications in screening and testing for depression to identify those most a risk of developing depression so they can be monitored and then target vulnerabilities in CBT
• outline Ellis's ABC model as an explanation for depression

  irrational beliefs make us overreact to events and become depressed

  - activating event: situations where irrational thoughts are triggered by external events

  - beliefs: identified a range of irrational beliefs

  - consequence: when the activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences - depression
• mustabatory thinking

  the consequences of not accepting we don't live in a perfect work
• name one strength of Ellis's ABC model

  REAL WORLD APPLICATION:

  . real world application in the psychological treatment of depression

  . REBT has evidence for success meaning it has real world value
• name one limitation of Ellis's ABC model

  DOESN'T EXPLAIN ALL TYPES OF DEPRESSION

  . only explains reactive depression and not endogenous depression

  . many cases of depression can't be traced to a life event and it isn't obvious what makes a person depressed

  . therefore Ellis's model is only a partial explanation for depression
• what are the two cognitive treatments for depression?

  CBT

  REBT
• what is CBT?

  a method for treating mental disorders based on both cognitive and behavioural techniques
• cognitive element of CBT

  . begins with an assessment in which the client and therapist work together to clarify the clients problems

  . they identify goals for the therapy and create a plan to achieve them
• behavioural element of CBT

  working to change negative and irrational thoughts and put more effective behaviours into place - challenging irrational thoughts
• elements of CBT

  . client as scientist: patient generates and tests hypotheses about the validity of their irrational thoughts - when they realise that their thoughts don't match reality, this will change their schemas and irrational thoughts can be discarded

  . thought catching: identifying irrational thoughts coming from the negative triad of schemas

  . homework tasks: keep a diary to track enjoyable event or negative thoughts that have led to negative thinking
• REBT

  extension of the ABC model to ABCDE model

  D - dispute

  E - effect

  central technique is to identify and challenge negative thoughts
• empirical argument

  disputing whether there is evidence to support the negative belief
• logical argument

  disputing whether the negative thought logically follows from the facts
• name one strength of cognitive treatments of depression

  EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS FOR CBT

  . March et al. compared CBT to antidepressant drugs and a combo of both

  . after 36 weeks both were 81% improved and the combination group were 86% significantly improved

  . suggests CBT is just as effective when on their own and even more so as a combination
• name one limitation of cognitive treatments of depression