Cognitive approach to explaining/treatment for depression

• What did Aaron Beck suggest about explaining depression?

  Suggested there's a cognitive explanation for why some people are more vulnerable to depression than others, and he suggested three

  parts to this cognitive vulnerability
• Three parts Beck said are part of cognitive vulnerability to depression

  Faulty information processing

  Negative self-schema

  Negative triad
• What is faulty info processing

  Depressed people attend to negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positive aspects, they tend towards 'black and white thinking'
• What is negative self-schema?

  Schema is a pack of ideas developed w/ experience and having a negative self-schema is when tThey interpret all info about themselves in a negative way; a
• What is the negative triad?

  Three types of negative thinking that contribute to becoming depressed - negative view of the world, future, and self allowing them to be more vulnerable to depression
• Advantages of Beck's cognitive model

  • Good research support - Clark and Beck (1999) concluded that these cognitive vulnerabilities were more common in depressed people and they preceded depression
  • Practical application to CBT - Beck's cognitive model forms the basis of CBT and all cognitive aspects of depression are challenged in CBT
• What are the disadvantages of Beck's cognitive model

  • Doesn't explain all aspects of depression - only explains basic symptoms
• What did Albert Ellis assume

  • Good mental health is a result of rational thinking
  • Anxiety and depression result from rational thoughts
  • Irrational thoughts are any thoughts that interfere with us being happy, free from pain
  • Used ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state
• What is the ABC model

  An Activating external event triggers Beliefs which are irrational and these produce Consequences i.e. emotional/behavioural response
• What are the irrational beliefs that Ellis identified?

  Musturbation - the irrational belief that we must achieve perfection/always succeed

  I-can't-stand-it-its = the irrational belief that it is a disaster whenever something doesn't go our way

  Utopianism = belief that life is always meant to be fair
• Advantages of Ellis' ABC model

  • Practical application in CBT - identifies irrational beliefs which are challenged in therapy
  • Real world application in treatment - evidence from David et al (2018) that Ellis' cognitive approach to depression REBT changes negative beliefs (B in ABC)
• Disadvantages of ABC model

  • Offers only a partial explanation because only some depression occurs due to activating external event
  • Doesn't explain all aspects of depression - fails to explain anger or hallucinations associated with depression
  • Ethical issues - model locates responsibility for depression which is blaming the depressed person (unfair)
• What is CBT in treating depression

  Psychological therapy that combines behavioural and cognitive approaches to change irrational thoughts to optimistic, rational thoughts
• What is Beck's cognitive therapy in treating depression

  Aims to identify and then challenge the negative triad

  Also tests the reality of their irrational beliefs - 'client as scientist'
• Advantages of CBT in treating depression

  • Client is actively involved in recovery so they learn new skills to use in diff situations
  • CBT isn't physically invasive
  • Evidence for effectiveness - CBT works best when combined with antidepressants as March et al 2007 compared CBT on its own to drugs to combo of both and combo was most effective
• What is a disadvantage of CBT in treating depression regarding client behavior?

  Clients can become too dependent on their therapist
• Why might CBT be ineffective for some individuals?

  It isn't effective for those with rigid attitudes
• How does high stress impact the effectiveness of CBT?

  CBT is not effective for those with high stress
• What is a characteristic of the CBT treatment process?

  It is a long process rather than a quick fix
• Why might CBT be ineffective for severe clients?

  It requires complex thinking unsuitable for them
• What is a concern regarding the long-term effectiveness of CBT?

  High relapse rates due to benefit duration concerns
• What might be necessary due to the high relapse rates associated with CBT?

  CBT may have to be repeated periodically
• What is Ellis' Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in treating depression

  REBT extends the ABC model to abcDE model

  D = dispute irrational thoughts which produces

  empirical argument = disputing whether there is actual evidence to support the irrational belief

  logical argument = disputing whether neg thought logically follows from facts

  E - effect i.e. irrational belief changed to rational
• What is behavioural activation in treating depression?

  Work with depressed people to decrease avoidance/isolation and increase their engagement in activities that are shown to improve mood e.g. exercising
• Implications for the economy for depression

  • Finding effective treatment for any disorder = less days off sick --> improved productivity
  • CBT is more efficient long term because it increases productivity so economy goes up despite being more expensive than drug therapy