cognitive treatments of depression

Question 1

what is CBT?

Answer 1

• based on the assumption that faulty thinking processes make a person vulnerable to depression
• the cognitive element identifies irrational and neg thoughts, aiming to replace them with more pos and rational ones
• the behavioural element encourages patients to test their beliefs via behavioural experiments and homework

Question 2

what does CBT include?

Answer 2

1. initial assessment: identify the patient’s problems
2. goal setting: creating a plan of action to achieve these goals
3. identify neg/irrational thoughts and challenge them: using either beck’s cognitive therapy or ellis’s REBT
4. homework: patients identifies their own irrational beliefs and proves them wrong

Question 3

using beck’s CBT

Answer 3

• the therapist will help the patient identify neg thoughts about themselves, the world and their future
• they then work together to challenge these, using evidence for and against them
• the patient will be encouraged to test the validity of the neg thoughts, and may be set homework to challenge and test these thoughts

Question 4

using ellis’s REBT

Answer 4

• he developed the ABC model to include dispute and effective
• the main aim is to challenge irrational thoughts, this is achieved through dispute (argument)
• the therapist will dispute the irrational beliefs to replace them with more effective beliefs and attitudes
• different types of dispute can be used, e.g. logical dispute (the logic of the belief is questioned)

Question 5

give a strength of CBT
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Answer 5

research evidence supports the effectiveness of CBT. march et al (2007) found CBT was as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression. they examined 327 adolescents, looking at CBT, antidepressants and a combination of both. after 36 weeks, 81% of the CBT group and 81% of the antidepressants group had improved, and 86% of the combination group had improved. suggesting a combination of both may be more effective

Question 6

give a limitation of CBT
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Answer 6

CBT requires motivation, patients suffering from severe depression may not engage with CBT or attend sessions, so this treatment would be ineffective in treating them. treatments such as antidepressants don’t require the same level of motivation so may be more effective in these cases. therefore CBT cant be used as the sole treatment for these patients who lack the motivation to attend therapy and talk

Question 7

give a limitation of CBT
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Answer 7

overemphasises the role of cognitions as the primary cause of depression. criticised by psychologists for not taking into account factors like social circumstances that could contribute to someones depression. e.g. someone suffering from abuse needs to change their circumstances not their neg/irrational beliefs. therefore CBT would be ineffective in treating these patients until their circumstances change

Question 8

evaluate CBT
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Answer 8

CBT success may not be due to either beck or ellis’s specific techniques. rosenzweig (1936) argues the client-therapist relationship is most important in the success of therapy, having someone to talk to may be the crucial part rather than specific techniques. this is supported by comparison studies like that by luborsky et al (2002) which showed little difference between different methods of psychotherapy