Cognitive Approach To Treating Depression - A01 Flashcards
What is CBT
Cognitive behavioural therapy is the most common treatment used in the NHS to help treat depression.
It’s based on Beck’s Negative Triad, which is the negative thoughts about the future, oneself and the world.
What is the cognitive element of CBT?
It aims to identify irrational and negative thoughts and replaces them with positive thoughts.
What is the behaviour element of CBT?
It encourages patients to test their beliefs through homework and behavioural experiments.
What is the central premise of CBT?
The idea that feelings, behaviours and thoughts impact each other, so if an irrational thought can be identified it can also change people’s behaviour and emotions.
Thoughts, feelings and behaviours
Thoughts: What we think affects how we feel and act.
Feelings: What we feel affects what we do and how we think.
Behaviours: What we do affects how we feel and think.
Explain how CBT is administered.
Initial assessment
Goal setting
Identify automatic negative and irrational thoughts
They’re common to both Ellis’ and Beck’s model – they differ in how they aim to address the irrational and negative thoughts.
Initial assessment
CBT therapist work with the patients in order to identify the patient’s problems.
Goal setting
The therapist and patient agree on a set of goals and make a plan of action to achieve them.
Identify automatic negative and irrational thoughts
In relation to themselves, their future and their world (Beck’s negative triad) or activating events and beliefs (Ellis’ ABC model).
Key Feature of CBT (Beck)
The patient and therapist challenge negative thoughts against reality and/or put new rational beliefs into practice by:
- Diffusing evidence for/against.
- Homework outside of the sessions such as thought diaries.
What is meant by patient as scientist?
Testing and generating hypotheses about the validity of their irrational thoughts.
When the patients realise that they don’t match reality, their schemas will change, and the irrational thoughts will be discarded.
What is cognitive restructuring?
When the perspectives are reframed, which leads to a change in behaviours and feelings.
What is thought catching?
To identify irrational thoughts coming from the negative triad of schemas.
What is behavioural activation?
Engages in more enjoyable and active activities, such as sports, traveling and socialising.
This is significant to combat depressive symptoms of losing interest and isolation.
Ellis’s REBT
Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy.
