cognitive approach to depression

• Beck (1967) took a cognitive approach to explaining why some people are more likely to suffer from depression
• Beck argues that a person's cognitions make them think a certain way, they have a predisposition
• 3 parts to this cognitive vulnerability

  • faulty information processing
  • negative self-schema
  • the negative triad
• faulty information processing

  • only looks at the negatives, ignores the positives
  • absolutist thinking- black and white
  • overgeneralisation and catastrophising
• Negative self schema

  • a schema is a 'pocket of information', ideas and info developed through experience
  • package of ideas that we have about ourselves
  • depressed people develop negative self schemas
  • interpret all info about themselves negatively
• The negative triad

  • negative view of the world
  • negative view of the future
  • negative view of self
• Ellis's ABC model

  • good mental health is the result of rational thinking
  • thinking in ways that allow people to be happy and free from pain
  • anxiety and depression comes from irrational thinking
• irrational thoughts- illogical or unrealistic thoughts which interfere with being happy and pain free
• Ellis's ABC model

  1. Activating event
  2. beliefs
  3. consequence
• Activating event

  • people get depressed when we experience negative events
  • triggers irrational beliefs
  • e.g. failing a test or going through a breakup
• Beliefs

  • your interpretation of an event
  • rational or irrational
  • develop irrational beliefs
  • musturbatory thinking- must always succeed or achieve perfection
  • leads to disappointment or depression
• consequences

  • activating event triggers irrational beliefs
  • leads to unhealthy emotional/ behavioural consequences
• STRENGTHS of Beck's cognitive model

  • research support- Cohen et al (2019) found that cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression
  • Real world application- CBT and REBT was developed from Ellis' ABC model, most effective treatment
• LIMITATIONS of Beck's cognitive approach

  • biological explanation- drug therapies suggests neurotransmitters cause depression
  • Blames the client- does not account for situational factors, reductionist