Cognitive Explanations for Depression

• What is the assumption of the Cognitive Approach in explaining Depression?

  Cognitive Distortions
• Who are the Important Researcher's in explaining Depression from the Cognitive Approach?

  Beck's Cognitive Explanation for Depression

  Ellis ABC model for Depression
• How many aspects does Beck offer for explaining Depression?

  3
• What are the 3 aspects Beck's offers for explaining Depression?

  Cognitive Triad

  1. World
  2. Self
  3. Future
• How does negative schema in childhood affect a person?

  It provides a negative framework for viewing event's pessimistically
• What does Negative Self-Schema do to a person?

  A person with a negative self-schema is likely to interpret information about themselves in a negative way.
• When does Negative Self-Schema develop?

  During Childhood
• What does Beck say about children who have negative experiences?

  They develop a poor sense of self.
• What are some example's of negative self-schema after development?

  • Excessive Criticism
  • Suffered Poor Parenting
  • Failed or Troubled Peer Interactions
• What did Beck say about Cognitive bias in depressed people?

  That depressed people are more likely to focus on the negative aspects of a situation, while ignoring the positives.

  An example is misinterpreting information
• What does Beck's cognitive Triad state?

  We can resist depression when we are positive about 2/3 elements in the triad.

  • We are at risk of depression if we see 2 or more as a problem.
• What are the Cognitive Bias in Action

  1. Selective Abstraction
  2. Minimisation
  3. Arbitrary Inference
  4. Magnification
  5. Overgeneralisation
  6. Personalisation
• What is Selective Abstraction?

  Drawing conclusions on the basis of just one of many elements of a situation
• What is Personalisation?

  Taking personal responsibility for events that are not under a person's control.
• What is Arbitrary Inference?

  Drawing conclusions when there is little or no evidence
• Evidence that supports Beck's model of Depression

  • Beck 1976
  • Boury 2001
  • Beck's Depression Inventory

  Application to therapy CBT
• What did Beck 1976 find?

  Depressed people were more likely to have dysfunctional automatic thoughts in comparison to others.
• What did Boury 2001 find?

  Depressed people misinterpret information negatively and feel hopeless about their future.
• What is Beck's Depression Inventory?

  It is a self-report questionnaire that is used to assess the severity of a person's depressive symptoms
• Strength of Beck's Depression Inventory

  It is highly reliable and has offered an invaluable tool to methodological investigation in therapeutic treatment
• How has Beck's theory been used to apply to CBT

  Using Beck’s principles therapists have a highly effective [80%+] therapy for the treatment of depression 

  • Thought catching and challenging biases has been identified as the most effective part of CBT
  • March et al CBT is at least as good as Drug therapy
• What was ELLIS approach to Depression

  Looks to explain depression in positive terms.

  • He sees good mental health as a production of rational thought.
  • Depression as a product of irrational thoughts.
• What does ABC stand for in ELLIS model

  A - Activating Event

  B - Beliefs

  C - Consequences
• What is Activating Event?

  This is any situation, event that leads to an emotional response (negative response).

  • Key Idea: It’s important to note that the event itself is neutral. The emotional reaction that follows is shaped by how the individual interprets or responds to the event.
• What is Beliefs?

  Beliefs are thoughts, assumptions, or cognitive patterns that people have in response to the activating event.

  
  

  • According to Ellis, these beliefs can be either rational or irrational.
• What are Consequences?

  Results from beliefs about the activating event.

  • If the beliefs are irrational, the consequences are often negative emotions, like anxiety, anger, guilt, or depression.
  • If the beliefs are rational, the consequences are more likely to be healthy emotional responses, like acceptance, understanding, or resilience.
• Examples of Belief

  • Musterbation -> obscene perfectionism where the goals are not reachable. 
  • Awfulizing -> self-defeating habits prevent us from having an accurate perception of ourselves. 
• Research Evidence

  Boury et al

  Beck

  Bates

  Alloy and Abraham

  Alloy
• Research Support - Boury

  Boury - Patients with depression were more likely to interpret information negatively and feel hopeless about their future.
• Research Support - Beck

  Beck - Found that depressed people were more likely to have dysfunctional automatic thoughts.
• Research Supports - Alloy and Abraham

  Depressed people are more likely to be able to anticipate disaster than normal people.

  • REBT would force them to challenge their own irrational functioning.
• Research Support - Alloy

  Longitudinal Study and those with negative styles had a x17 greater likelihood of developing depression.
• Weakness of Cognitive Explanation for Depression.

  Correlation vs Causation

  The cognitive approach suggests that negative thinking patterns lead to depression however it can be difficult to establish whether negative negative thoughts cause depression or whether depression leads to negative thinking.

  For example; A depressed person may begin to think negatively because of their low mood, rather than the negative thoughts themselves triggering depression.
• Weakness of Cognitive Explanation for Depression

  Individual Differences

  Not everyone who has negative thinking patterns will develop depression - This shows that cognitive explanations may not be applicable to everyone as suggests.

  People with similar cognitive patterns (e.g., negative thoughts, perfectionism) may react in different ways and only some of them will go on to develop depression.
• Strengths of Cognitive Explanation for Depression

  Has led to the successful therapy of REBT which attempts to challenge negative, irrational thoughts.

  Found to be successful though various studies therefore provides further support to Ellis’ model of depression. 

    

  Depression could be a biological condition, caused by genes and neurotransmitters. 

  Perhaps a sole focus on the cognitive symptoms may limit psychology’s understanding of depression, therefore taking a more holistic approach to the disorder would be beneficial for our understanding.
• Strengths of Cognitive Explanation for Depression

  REAL-LIFE APPLICATION

  
  

  Led to the successful approach of CBT, this focuses on a collaborative approach to treating depression by challenging the maladaptive, automatic thinking. Various pieces of research highlighting the successfulness of this treatment, highlighting its effective practical application, helped to improve many lives and improve the economy (people are able to return to work without having to suffer from symptoms).