4. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (THE COGNITIVE APPROACH TO TREATING DEPRESSION) Flashcards
What is Beck’s Cognitive Therapy for treating depression?
Beck’s Cognitive Therapy helps patients identify negative automatic thoughts (the negative triad) about themselves, the world, and the future. Patients learn to challenge these thoughts through Reality Testing, where they examine evidence for and against their beliefs, often using diaries and homework tasks.
What is the purpose of Activity Raising (or Behavioural Activation) in Beck’s Cognitive Therapy?
Activity Raising involves encouraging patients to increase their daily social activities to test their fears and engage in pleasurable activities. It aims to counteract the withdrawal and inactivity often associated with depression.
What is the concept of “thought catching” in Beck’s Cognitive Therapy?
Thought catching involves identifying and recognizing negative automatic thoughts as they arise, enabling patients to challenge and change these thoughts.
How does Beck’s Cognitive Therapy address negative schemas formed in childhood?
Beck’s therapy targets negative schemas (e.g., feelings of worthlessness) formed during childhood by challenging them through cognitive restructuring, helping patients adopt more balanced and realistic beliefs.
What are the specific techniques used in Beck’s Cognitive Therapy for treating depression?
Key techniques include:
1. Spotting negative automatic thoughts.
2. Reality Testing to challenge negative thoughts.
3. Diary records to monitor negative thinking.
4. Behavioral activation, such as increasing social interactions and activities.
5. Practicing new behaviors to change negative thought patterns.
What is Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)? A
REBT is a form of CBT that focuses on challenging and disputing irrational beliefs about events. It uses an ABCDEF model:
* A (Activating Event)
* B (Belief)
* C (Consequence)
* D (Disputing irrational thoughts)
* E (Effects of disputing)
* F (New Feelings)
How does Ellis’s REBT challenge irrational beliefs?
REBT uses techniques like:
* Logical Disputing: Challenging whether the negative thought logically follows from the facts.
* Empirical Disputing: Examining if evidence supports the belief.
* Pragmatic Disputing: Considering whether the belief is helpful in achieving goals.
What is the difference between Beck’s Cognitive Therapy and Ellis’s REBT?
Both therapies aim to treat depression by changing negative thoughts. However, Beck focuses on automatic negative thoughts and negative schemas, while Ellis focuses on irrational beliefs triggered by events.
What is a strength of CBT as a treatment for depression compared to drug treatments?
CBT has been shown to be effective in reducing depression symptoms, with evidence suggesting it prevents relapse more effectively than drugs. For example, Holon et al. (2006) found a lower relapse rate in patients receiving CBT than those on medication.
How does CBT compare to antidepressants in terms of effectiveness?
Research by March et al. (2007) showed that CBT was just as effective as antidepressant drugs in treating depression. In fact, when combined with medication, CBT had even better results.
What is a limitation of CBT as a treatment for depression in terms of effort?
CBT requires significant effort and motivation from patients, which can be challenging for individuals with severe depression who may struggle to engage with activities or complete homework assignments.
Why is CBT considered time-consuming?
CBT can take several months to show results, making it unsuitable for individuals with severe depression or those at high risk of suicide who require more immediate relief, such as antidepressant medications.
What is the issue with overemphasis on cognitions in CBT for depression?
CBT may focus too much on changing irrational thoughts and overlook important environmental and social factors, such as poverty or abuse, that may also contribute to depression.
What is the oversimplistic nature of the cognitive approach to treating depression?
The cognitive approach may ignore other factors contributing to depression, such as biological influences. For example, the Diathesis-Stress model suggests depression results from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers, indicating that a multi-treatment approach could be more effective.
What is a limitation of CBT in treating depression, according to the Diathesis-Stress model?
According to the Diathesis-Stress model, depression is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. This suggests that CBT alone may not be sufficient, and a more comprehensive, multi-treatment approach might be needed.
