COGNITIVE Therapy - CBT

Question 2

How does it explain mental illness

Answer 2

Argues that mental illness (depression / anxiety) are caused by maladaptive or negative thoughts and beliefs
People who think negatively about the world are more likely to suffer from depression
This type of thinking can lead to individuals to pay more attention to the negative aspects of situations and ignore the positive
Difficult to break out to the pattern
Beck proposed that depressed people in particular develop a pattern of negative thinking called the Negative Cognitive Triad
Involves a negative view of self, of the world and of the future
Influences the way that a person sees the world and themselves and makes it difficult to recall happy memories
Negative schemas can cause a pattern of negative thinking
Automatic negative thoughts
Bias our interpretation of the world but do not reflect reality
Catastrophising / Mind reading / Over generalising / Labelling
Our self-schema is all the information, thoughts and feelings that we have about ourselves
This self-schema will bias how they interpret events

Question 3

Aim of CBT

Answer 3

Aim of CBT is to challenge the negative thoughts and replace them with constructive positive thinking that will lead to healthy behaviour
Bring maladaptive thoughts conscious and challenge them - no basis for thoughts

Question 4

How does CBT link to assumptions?

Answer 4

Concerned with internal mental processes (thinking / attention / memory)
Seeks to alter the way in which we process information
Based on the assumption that mental illness is caused by faulty thinking
By changing the thinking through cognitive restructuring, we can change behaviour
Helps to change the negative schemas

Question 5

Socratic questioning

Answer 5

Posing a series of curiosity - driven questions
Therapist is interested in the feeling that these thought provoked and in turn the client behaved in response to them
Can raise doubt

Question 6

Cognitive Restructuring

Answer 6

Taught how to challenge dysfunctional automatic thoughts
“Where is the evidence for X?”
“What is the worst that can happen if X is true?”

Question 6

Pleasant activity scheduling

Answer 6

Plan something nice / fun for each day
Something that gives a sense of accomplishment
Induces positive emotions

Question 6

Dysfunctional Thought Diary

Answer 6

Keep a diary of thoughts associated with negative thoughts
Pay particular attention to any automatic negative thoughts
They have to rate how much they believe the thought and give a rational response to this thought and rate their belief in that
Finally, rerate their belief in the automatic thought

Question 6

Strengths of CBT

Answer 6

Cahill et al (2003) assessed the severity of symptoms after each therapy session of 58 patients receiving cognitive therapy for depression
71 percent of the patients who had completed their therapy experienced a significant reduction in their symptoms
13% of the patients who did not complete the therapy showed improvement
David and Avelino (2003) found that CBT has the highest overall success rate of all therapies
Kuyken and Tsivikos (2009) suggested that as much as 15% of the effectiveness of CBT may be attributable to the competence of the therapist
Jarret et al (1999) CBT was as effective as some antidepressants
Hollen et al (1992) no difference in CBT compared to antidepressants
Could have more advantages to antidepressants

Question 7

Weaknesses of CBT

Answer 7

CBT does not take into account individual differences
Suggests that CBT may not be appropriate for individual who have high levels of irrational beliefs
CBT has limited use in situations in which the persons negative thinking is caused by very real life stressors (Simons et al, 1995)
CBT cannot be used for schizophrenics
Cannot distinguish between real life and own thoughts
Based on the assumption that maladaptive thinking that leads to mental illness
Lewinsohn (1981) researched about negative thoughts were assessed before the participants became depressed
Concluded there was no relationship between negative thoughts and irrational beliefs and future depression
Undermines the whole therapy of CBT
You will not be actually treating the root cause of depression, only treating the symptoms

Question 7

Ethical Issues of CBT

Answer 7

Puts the blame for the mental illness on the patients themselves
Reduces self-esteem
CBT might make the patients’ issues worse
Up to the therapist’s judgement to decide what is and is not a rational thought
Abrahmson (1979) suggests that depressive realists tend to see things for what they are and normal people have a tendency to distant things in a positive way
Depressed are “sadder but wiser”