Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression

Question 1

What happens as a result of negative early experiences?

Answer 1

Faulty thinking patterns and negative automatic thoughts

Question 2

What are the main focuses of CBT for depression?

Answer 2

It changes distorted thinking present in those with depression and trains them to use more adaptive behaviours

Question 3

What is the aim of the treatment?

Answer 3

• To challenge negative thoughts and replace them with constructive positive ones
• To prevent cognitive errors

Question 4

How many sessions to clients usually have?

Answer 4

2-20 once a week for an hour

Question 5

What does the treatment start with?

Answer 5

An education phase where the client learns about the cognitive triad and the relationship between thoughts, emotions and actions

Question 6

How are ethical issues addressed?

Answer 6

Issues such as confidentiality and privacy wil be discussed as well as doing homework

Question 7

Is there a plan for the course of treatment?

Answer 7

Yes, an agenda is set so they see what issues they would like to tackle, they also decide what pace they want to go at and what they don’t want to do

Question 8

What is the frame of reference?

Answer 8

Roots of the clients problems, specific beliefs that need to be modified that are fundamental to the issue

Question 9

What is the downward arrow technique?

Answer 9

Where the therapist breaks down the problem into seperate parts and sees how they are connected and how they affect the client

Question 10

How do they look at thoughts, feelings and behaviours ?

Answer 10

To see if they are unrealistic or helpful and how they affect each other and the patient

Question 11

How does the therapist challenge the faulty thinking?

Answer 11

By offering alternative interpretations and explanations

Question 12

What do the homework assignments involve?

Answer 12

Getting the patient to carry out and behave in ways they were previously unable to

Question 13

What is hypothesis testing?

Answer 13

Where the patient puts themselves into situations that are meant to test the negative automatic thoughts they hold in order to provide evidence that they aren’t correct

Question 14

Do patients keep a diary?

Answer 14

Yes, they log their sessions, thought processes and their moods. They also reflect upon their homework

Question 15

How does Comer (1999) support?

Answer 15

50-60% of patients show no re occurance of depressive symptoms after treatment

Question 16

What did Williams et al (2013) find that supports?

Answer 16

That CBT alone and when combined with an imagery based treatment was successful

Question 17

What did NICE say about CBT?

Answer 17

That they recommend it as the most effective psychological treatment for depression

Question 18

What did Elkin et al (1989) suggest about its practicality?

Answer 18

That while it can be slightly less effective than clinical management, it is much less invasive than drugs and so is more practical

Question 19

What is the biggest benefit?

Answer 19

There are no side effects so could be regarded as more ethical than drug treatment

Question 20

How does Kuyken et al (2008) support?

Answer 20

He suggested that a form of CBT was more effective in preventing relapse and in improving quality of life than the use of antidepressants

Question 21

What weakness does Chan et al (2006) offer?

Answer 21

That drug therapy could be a useful addition to CBT as a combination is more effective than CBT on its own

Question 22

How does Holmes (2002) weaken the value of CBT?

Answer 22

Identified that the largest study into treatments for depression showed that CBT was less effective than antidepressant drugs

Question 23

What is an issue with the data supporting CBT?

Answer 23

That they come from self report methods mostly which are unreliable and they may want to please the therapist and say that it is working.

Question 24

What negative ethical implications does CBT have?

Answer 24

That is essentially blame the person for their disorder because it is their thoughts that cause it