depression

• cognitive approach to explaining depression - becks neg triad

  beck said people’s cognitions caused vulnerabilities to depression

  • faulty info processing - attend to negative aspects and ignore positive, tends towards absolutist thinking
  • negative self schema - framework of beliefs built through experience, act as template for interpretation of sensory information. they interpret all info about themselves and the world negatively
  • negative triad - develops dysfunctional view of themselves because of thinking negatively about self, world, future
  • all enhance depressive thoughts
• one strength of beck is

  research support

  • cognitive vulnerability are ways of thinking that predispose depression
  • clark and beck - vulnerabilities more common in patients and also preceded depression
  • confirmed in prospective study of Cohen
  • confirms association and gives scientific credibility
• one strength of beck

  application in screening and treatment

  • cohen concluded assessing cog vuln allows psychologists to screen young people, identifying those most at risk and monitor them
  • understanding cog vuln applied to treatments - CBT, therapy alters cognitions to stop vulnerability to depression
• cog approach to explaining depression Ellis ABC

  Ellis proposed good MH is result of rational thinking, poor is irrational thoughts that interfere with us feeeling happy

  • ABC model explains how irrational thoughts affect behaviour
  • A - activating event - situation where irrational thoughts are triggered by external events
  • B - belief - range of irrational belief eg Utopianism (life always meant to be fair)
  • C - consequences - emotional and behavioural consequence of irrational belief, depression may be consequence This
• one strength of ellis

  RWA in treatment

  • REBT involves arguing with patient to alter IB which are making them unhappy
  • David - evidence to support that REBT can change neg beliefs and also symptoms of depression
  • value
• one limitation of Ellis

  only explains reactive depression

  • depression triggered by activating event, how we respond to event also seems to be result of irrational belief
  • cant explain endogenous depression where not traceable to life evenets
  • limited explanation cannot be applied to all cases
• cog approach to treat depression - CBT

  application of Becks cognitive theory

  • begins with assessment where work together to clarify problems, jointly identify goals and plan to achieve them
  • identify where might be negative irrational thoughts
  • work to change thoughts to put effective behaviour in place
  • identify automatic thoughts about triad and challenge them
  • reality test the neg beliefs through homework where evidence produced client as scientist
• strength of cbt


  evidence

  • March - compared Cbt to AD as well as combination , 81% cbt and 86% combo , just as effective as AD and more so when used together
  • also cost effective as only 6-12 session
  • widely seen as first choice of treatment for public service nhs
• one limitation of CBT

  unsuitable for diverse client

  • depression so severe cannot moticste to engage with cognitive work of CBT, reducing its effect
  • complex rational thought unsuitable for learning difficulties (Sturmey)
  • only effective for some cases
• cog approach to treatment - REBT

  Ellis rational emotive behaviour therapy

  • extends ABC to Dispute Effect
  • identify and challenge belief with vigorous argument to change IB to break link between negative event and depression
  • dipsute either empirical argument - dispute whether evidence or logical dispute whether follows logically from fact
  • behavioural activation - reinforcing activities that prevent isolation and avoidance, as depression increases so does avoidance which worsens or maintains symptoms
• one strength of REBT

  90% success rate with average 27 sessions

  • effective and fast - NHS
  • meta analysis - REBT second highest success rate of therapies
  • biased as ellis devised therapy and conducted study
• one limitation of REBT

  only works by changing faulty thinking, doesn’t explain what caused the cognitive process. if cause not addressed it may just mask symptoms and depression will reoccur in long term