cognitive - treating depression

Question 1

CBT

Answer 1

CBT aims to deal with thinking, such as challenging irrational thoughts + behavioural techniques such as behavioural activation

Question 2

behavioural actiation

Answer 2

• decrease patient’s avoidance /isolation = increase their engagement in activities = improve mood e.g. exercising, going out to dinner etc

Question 3

Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)

Answer 3

● D - Dispute (challenge) irrational beliefs
● E - Effect
A patient might talk about how unlucky they have been or how unfair life is. An REBT therapist would identify this as ‘utopianism’ and challenge it as an irrational belief.
● Empirical argument - disputing whether there is evidence to support the irrational belief
● Logical argument - disputing whether the negative thought actually follows from the facts

Question 4

Becks cognitive theory - homework

Answer 4

• Patients are encouraged to test the reality of their irrational beliefs
• They might be set homework e.g. to record when they enjoyed an event or when people were nice to them
• In future sessions, if patients say that no one is nice to them or there is no point going on, the therapist can produce this evidence to prove the patient’s beliefs incorrect

Question 5

becks cognitive theory - paitent and therapist
- what do they do together

Answer 5

● Identify where there might be negative or irrational thoughts that will benefit from a change
- (the negative triad)
→ These thoughts must be challenged

Question 6

summary of CBT

Answer 6

● to challenge negative thought/negative triad
● Identification of negative thoughts
● Patient as ‘scientist’
● Data gathering through ‘homework’, e.g. diary keeping
● Reinforcement of positive thoughts; cognitive restructuring ● Rational confrontation as in Ellis’s REBT