AO3

• Cognitive explanations for depression have been used to develop successful and widely used CBT and REBT treatments. The success of these treatments is shown by March et al (2007) who compared CBT with medication and found an effectiveness rate of 81% for both treatments, suggesting that the underlying cognitive theory that depression is due to faulty cognitions is valid as the treatment based on that idea is effective.
• Hammen and Krantz (1976) found support for negative cognitive distortions in depressed female undergraduates compared to a female undergraduate non-depressed control group when presented with a short story, with the depressed females showing more errors in logic when interpreting the narrative.
• A limitation of the cognitive approach is that not all irrational beliefs are 'irrational', they may simply seem irrational. In fact, Alloy and Abramson (1979) suggest that depressive realists tend to see things for what they are (with normal people tending to view the world through rose-coloured glasses). They found that depressed people gave more accurate estimates of the likelihood of a disaster than "normal controls, and called this the sadder but wiser effect. These doubts about whether irrational thinking really is irrational raise questions about the value of the cognitive approach.
• Blames the client rather than situational factors The CA suggests that it is the client who is responsible for their disorder. This placing of emphasis on the client is a good thing because it gives the client the power to change the way things are. However, this stance has limitations. It may lead the client or therapist to overlook situational factors, for example not considering how life events or family problems may have contributed to the mental disorder.
• The strength of the cognitive approach therefore lies in its focus on the client's mind and recovery, but other aspects of the client's environment and life may also need to be considered.