(A03) Cognitive Explanations To Depression

• It has good supporting evidence (Beck's theory)

  Grazioli and Terry assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and depression before and after birth. Found women who have been high in cognitive vulnerability were more likely to have post-natal depression
• Clark and Beck


  Reviewed research on this topic and concluded that there was solid support for all these cognitive vulnerability factors. These cognitions can be seen before depression develops
• It has a practical application in CBT (Beck's theory)


  Beck's cognitive explanation is that it forms the basis of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. All cognitive aspects of depression can be identified and challenged in CBT
• Challenging and encouraging


  Includes components of the negative triad that are easily identifiable meaning therapists can challenge/encourage patients to test whether they are true. Translates well into successful therapy
• It does not explain all aspects of depression (Beck's theory)

  Depression is complex and patients are deeply angry and Beck cannot explain this. Some sufferers suffer hallucinations and bizarre beliefs like Cotard syndrome (delusion they are zombies) according to Jarrett
• A partial explanation (ABC model)


  Some cases of depression following activating events are called 'reactive depression' by psychologists and see it different from the kind of depression that arises without an obvious cause. Thus, Ellis's explanation only applies to some kinds of depression
• It has practical application in CBT (ABC model)

  Ellis's explanation has led to successful therapy: by challenging irrational beliefs, a person can reduce their depressions - supported by research evidence of Lipsky et al. Supports the basic theory that irrational beliefs have some role in depression
• It does not explain all aspects of depressions (ABC model)

  Ellis's explanation does not easily explain anger associated with depression or the fact that some patients suffer hallucinations and delusions
• Cognitive Primacy (Beck and Ellis' theory)


  Cognitive explanations for depressions share the idea that cognition causes depression. This is closely tied up with the concept of cognitive primacy (idea that emotions are influenced by cognition)
• Other theories of depressions

  See emotion as stored like physical energy, to emerge some time after its causal event
• Attachment and depressions (Beck's theory)


  Studies of attachment have shown infant attachment with insecure attachments to their parents are more vulnerable to depression in adulthood