cognitive explanation for depression

• Beck's negative triad

  Beck suggested that some people are more prone to depression because of faulty information processing. When depressed people attend to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positives, they also tend to blow small problems out of proportion.

  A schema is a package of information that develops through experience. When we have a negative self-schema, we interpret all information about themselves in a negative way
• Beck's negative triad

  1. Negative view of the world
  2. Negative view of the self
  3. Negative view of the future
• Ellis ABC model

  A = activating event - Ellis suggested that depression arises from irrational thoughts and negative events.

  B = beliefs - negative events trigger irrational beliefs for example musterbation which is a need to always succeed

  C = consequences - when an activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences
• Evaluation

  One strength of Beck's negative triad is its real world application. Assessing cognitive vulnerability in young people most at risk of developing depression means they can be monitored. Understanding cognitive vulnerability is applied in Cognitive behavioural therapy to alter cognitions underlying depression, making a person more resilient. This means that the idea of cognitive vulnerability is useful in clinical practice.
• Evaluation

  One strength of Beck's negative triad is supporting evidence. Clark and Beck concluded that cognitive vulnerabilities are more common in depressed people. A recent prospective study by Cohen tracked 473 adolescence development and found that early cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression. This shows that there is an association between cognitive vulnerability and depression
• Evaluation

  One strength of Ellis' model is its real world application. Ellis applied the ABC model to treat depression (rational emotive behavioural therapy) Evidence that rational emotive behavioural therapy can both change negative beliefs and relieve the symptoms of depression. This means that rational emotive behavioural therapy has real world value.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is Ellis' model only explains reactive depression. This is a form of depression which is triggered by negative activating events. However, in many cases it is not obvious what triggers depression, described as endogenous depression. Ellis' model is less useful in explaining this. This means that Ellis' model can only explain some cases of depression.