Cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

Cognitive approach to explaining depression

List

Answer 1

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Ellis’s ABC model

Question 2

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Person

Answer 2

Beck (1967)

Question 3

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Answer 3

cognitive approach to why some are more vulnerable to depression
└persons cognitions create vulnerability

Question 4

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Parts

Answer 4

Faulty information processing
Negative self-schemas
Negative triad

Question 5

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Negative self-schemas

Answer 5

└schema= package of ideas and information developed through experience

Question 6

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Negative triad

Answer 6

└negative view of the world
└negative view of the future
└negative view of the self

Question 7

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Strengths (2)

Answer 7

Good supporting evidence
└Grazioli and terry (2000)
└assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and depression before and after birth
└findings: women judged to have high cognitive vulnerability were more likely to supper post natal depression
└Clark and Beck (1999)
└reviewed research on this topic
└concluded there was solid support for all these cognitive vulnerability factors
└cognitions can be seen before depression develops so suggests Beck may be right about cognition causing depression

Practical application in CBT
└forms a basis of a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) –a successful therapy
└cognitive aspects of depression can be identified and challenged in CBT
└include components of negative triad which are easily identifiable

Question 8

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression

Limitations (1)

Answer 8

Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression
└explains the basic symptoms of depression
└however depression is complex
└some patients are deeply angry
└beck can’t easily explain this extreme emotion
└some patients suffer hallucinations and delusions
└Cotard syndrome- the delusion they are zombies (Jarrett 2013)
└becks theory can’t explain this

Question 9

Ellis’s ABC model

Person

Answer 9

Ellis (1962)

Question 10

Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 10

Albert Ellis (1962)- poor mental health results from irrational thoughts
  └irrational thoughts: any thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free of pain 
└ABC model: depression occurs when an activating event (A) triggers an irrational belief (B) which in turn produces a consequence (C)

Question 11

Ellis’s ABC model

Parts

Answer 11

A- activating event
B- beliefs
C- consequences

Question 12

Ellis’s ABC model

A- activating event

Answer 12

└external events
└e.g. ending a relationship
└triggers irrational beliefs

Question 13

Ellis’s ABC model

B- beliefs

Answer 13

└musterbation: the belief we must always succeed/ achieve perfection
└utopianism: the belief that life is always meant to be fair
└produces a consequence

Question 14

Ellis’s ABC model

C- consequences

Answer 14

└emotional and behavioural consequences

Question 15

Ellis’s ABC model

Strengths (1)

Answer 15

Practical application in CBT
└led to successful therapy
└Lipsky et al (1980)
└idea that by challenging irrational beliefs, a person can reduce their depression
└irrational beliefs have some role in depression

Question 16

Ellis’s ABC model

Limitations (2)

Answer 16

Partial explanation
└reactive depression: depression that follows activating events
└only applies to some types of depression

Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression
└explains the basic symptoms of depression
└however depression is complex
└some patients are deeply angry
└beck can’t easily explain this extreme emotion
└some patients suffer hallucinations and delusions
└Cotard syndrome- the delusion they are zombies (Jarrett 2013)
└becks theory can’t explain this