4.1.4 COGNITIVE APPROACH TO TREATING DEPRESSION

Question 1

what is CBT?

Answer 1

• the most commonly used psychological treatment for depression
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• is a cognitive treatment, although it does have behavioural elements within it

Question 2

what’s Beck’s cognitive therapy?

Answer 2

• cognitive therapy is the application of Beck’s theory of depression
• the most logical + effective way to change maladaptive behaviour is to change the irrational thinking

Question 3

how does CBT work to assist clients?

Answer 3

• CBT assists clients to identify their irrational thoughts
• once identified, CBT helps patients to change them
• to change them, the patient challenges these thoughts directly and the therapist can also assist in challenging the reality of their irrational thoughts
• clients are often set hw to record positive events, which can be used in sessions to help them challenge their irrational thoughts
• this allows the therapist to directly confront the client with evidence to show them it’s an irrational thought / look for other reasons why ppl may have acted they way they did

Question 4

what is Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behaviour (REBT)?

Answer 4

• REBT extends Ellis’ ABC model to ABCDEF
  -> D is dispute
  -> E is effect
  -> F feelings
• the main technique for REBT is to identify and challenge irrational thoughts

Question 5

why doesn’t Beck use the word ‘patient’?

Answer 5

because it was felt to take power from the person

Question 6

what’s an example of REBT?

Answer 6

• a client talks to their therapist about the fact that everyone hates them
• a REBT would challenge these thoughts + argue with the client, the argument would be a strong argument where they challenge the specific irrational thought
• the therapist intends to break the link between -ve life effects and depression by changing the irrational belief

Question 7

there are different types of arguments identified by Ellis
what is an empirical and logical argument?

Answer 7

empirical argument
- disputing if there is real evidence to support the irrational belief

logical argument
- disputing if the negative effect follows logically from the facts

Question 8

what are some strengths of the cognitive treatment of depression?

Answer 8

1) quicker than other therapies
- treatments usually last for 16 weeks and can be repeated if they’re not successful initially

2) very effective in treating mild depression
- stopping it from progressing into severe sad times

3) teaches the client skills that they could apply to other areas of life

4) the better trained the therapist, the more successful they are in their treatment outcomes

Question 9

what are some limitations of the cognitive treatments of depression?

Answer 9

1) doesn’t work for everyone
- lack of motivation
- lack of engagement
- requires good relationship with therapist

2) CBT has been criticised for blaming the client
- the whole focus is on their irrational thoughts

3) CBT is a talking therapy
- not very good for ppl who don’t like to talk / lack verbal skills

4) CBT has a high relapse rate
- although it’s effective, there are concerns as to how long those benefits last