Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Question 1

AO1:

Answer 1

• Beck developed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to challenge and reconstruct negative ways of thinking so that they become positive and rational.
• Can be used on individuals or in small groups and it focuses on present experience.
• Therapist should be highly trained and positively influence their behaviour.
• Patients are encouraged to record their thoughts in ‘Though Catching’.
• Reinforcement of positive thoughts is encouraged.
• Patients attend weekly sessions.

Question 2

Strength + Weakness: Mild depression

Answer 2

• Very effective when client has mild depression as CBT stops it from worsening.
• More applicable to mild depressive symptoms that severe.
• Drug medication may be more appropriate for severe symptoms.
  HOWEVER
• The most popular treatment of depression is anti depressants not CBT as it’s less effort.
• Psychologists found that CBT is v effective when combined with drugs.
• Therefore CBT on it’s own is not very effective.

Question 3

Strength: Research support

Answer 3

• It is widely respected and supported by vast amount of research.
• CBT is an effective treatment for a range of different disorders such as depression and social phobia.
• Suggests that CBT can be useful to more people than many other treatments without the harmful side effects of drug therapies.
• Offered as a cost effective treatment by NHS.

Question 4

Strength: Long term cure

Answer 4

• CBR can be used as a log term cure for depression.
• Once a patient goes through CBT. it has lasting positive outcomes and high chance that the patient has been cured.
• They are less likely to relapse compared to other treatment like drugs.
• Therefore it is cost effective for NHS as patients are less likely to return to the hospital.