Cognitive explanation of depression PPO

Question 1

cognitive approach

Answer 1

as cognitive means mental processes the approach is focussed on how our mental processes affect behaviour

Question 2

mental processes

Answer 2

thoughts, perceptions, attention

Question 3

negative triad

Answer 3

Beck proposed that there are three kinds of negative thinking that contribute to becoming depressed: negative views of the world, future and the self.

Explains why some people are more vulnerable to depression than others and cognition creates the vulnerability.

Question 4

ABC model

Answer 4

Ellis proposed that depression occurs when an activating event A triggers an irrational belief B which in turn produces a consequence C eg an emotional response like depression

Good mental health is a result of rational thinking (allow people to be happy and painless). Depression results from irrational thinking. Irrational thought can be defined as any thoughts that interfere with being happy and free from pain.

Question 5

faulty information processing

Beck

Answer 5

• Depressed people focus on the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positive ones
• Eg if a depressed person won £1 million they would focus on how the previous week someone won £10 million
• Black and white thinking

Question 6

negative self schema

Beck

Answer 6

• Mental framework
• Package of information people have about themselves
• Schema is used to interpret the world so if the schema si negative the world is negative

Question 7

A activating event

ABC model

Answer 7

Irrational thoughts triggered by external events
Eg failing tests or ending relationships

Question 8

B beliefs

ABC model

Answer 8

• Belief that we must always succeed (‘musturbation’)
• Belief that things are a major disaster when things don’t go as planned (‘I-can’t-stand-it-itis’)
• Belief that life is always meant to be fair (‘utopianism’)

Question 9

C consequences

ABC model

Answer 9

• When an event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences
• Eg if someone believes they have to pass a test but then fails it could cause depression

Question 10

Research support for Beck’s negative triad

strength

Answer 10

• ‘Cognitive vulnerability’ refers to a way of thinking that leads to depression
• Clark and Beck (in a review) found that these were more common in depressed people but it also precedes the depression
• Confirmed by Cohen who regularly measured cognitive vulnerability in 473 adolescents
  Therefore there is an association between cognitive vulnerability and depression.

Question 11

real world application of Beck’s negative triad

strength

Answer 11

Applications in screening and depression treatment
* Cohen found that assessing cognitive vulnerability allows for screening adolescents to see who is more vulnerable for depression and monitoring them
Applied to cognitive behaviour therapy CBT
Understanding of cognitive vulnerability is useful in many aspects of clinical practice

Question 12

limitation of Beck’s negative triad

Answer 12

Some aspects of depression are not well explained by cognitive explanations eg how some depressed people are very angry but some have delusions.

Question 13

real world application of Ellis’ ABC model

Answer 13

Treatment of depression
* Ellis’s therapy approach is rational emotive behaviour therapy REBT
* Arguing with depressed people to alter their irrational beliefs
David found evidence to support this
REBT has real world value

Question 14

2

reactive and endogenous depression

limitation

Answer 14

Only explains reactive depression
* Many cases of depression are traced to traumatic events
* This is called endogenous depression
* ABC model less useful for this type of depression
Only a partial explanation