cognitive approach to explaining depression Flashcards
what does the cognitive approach suggest about depression?
cognitions affect behaviour- depression is caused by irrational/negative thought processes and perceptions along with faulty and maladaptive cognitions
what is Ellis’ ABC model?
- good mental health is result of rational thinking
- health cognitions= normal behav. faulty cognitions= abnormal behav (dep)
- depression result of faulty thinking
- A: activating event
- B: beliefs (most important)
- C: consequence
what is Beck’s negative triad?
where someone develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of 3 types of negative automatic thinking- Self, World, Future
what did Beck also believe how people got depressed?
because the world is seen negatively through negative schemas.
what is a schema and what is a self-schema?
schema- package of ideas and info developed through experience
self-schema- package of info about ourselves
how does cognitive biases help maintain the negative triad to cause depression?
- cognitive error
- automatic negative thoughts
- overgeneralisation
- self-fulling prophecy
- magnification and mimisation
what is a cognitive error?
disorted, irrational thought processes that negatively influence emotions and behaviour
what is automatic negative thoughts?
being pessimistic and having unrealistic expectations without thinking
what is overgeneralisation?
conclusions reached based on one event
what is self-fulling prophecy?
labelling themselves as depressed and fulfil this by showing symptoms
what is magnification and minimisation?
over-emphasising failures and over-looking the successes
evaluation points
L: partial explanation= reductionist
L: issues in causality
S: good supporting ev- Grazioli + Terry
S: good practical application- CBT
how is it only a partial explanation?
- dont explain everything like how some are angry, hallucinate, have delusions
- depression is complex and can arise without obvious cause
- not successful in explaining and treating manic part of depression
- reductionist as simplifies
what supporting evidence is there?
Grazioli + Terry
women judged to have cognitive vunerability were more likely to suffer post natal depression
- reliable explantion as research backs up through vunerability
- counter- only females, only one part of depression, could be chemical imbalances
what practical applications are there?
- provides treament for depression like CBT
- identifies and challenges negative triad, irrational thoughts
- successful treatment
- doesnt work for everyone
why is there issues in causality?
- cogntive aspects like faulty thinking cause depression or does depression cause faulty thoughts
- difficult to distinguish cause and effect
- another factor?
- hard to treat?
- causal relationship
