depression✅ Flashcards
what is depression
a mood disorder affecting 10% of the population
what are behavioural characteristics of depression
- disruption to sleep and eating habits eg: insomnia or binging
- activity levels –> reduced energy (lethargy)
- aggression or self harm –> irritability, verbally/physicaly aggressive
what are the emotional characteristics of depression
- lowered self esteem –> sufferers do not ‘like’ themselves
- anger –> directed at them selves or others
- lowered mood –> feeling worthless and empty
what are the cognitive characteristics of depression
- absolutist thinking –> black and white thinking
- poor concentration –> unable to make decisions or stick with task
- attending to and dwelling on the negative
how does the cognitive approach explain depression
-according to the cognitive explanaition, emotional problems are a result of cognitive distortions (irrational thinking)
- 2 main theories = Beck’s cognitive triad and Ellis’ irrational thinking (ABC model)
how did Beck’s Negative Cognitive Triad explain depression?
-claimed that depression is caused by negative self schemas maintaining the cognitive triad;
= a negative and irrational view about ourselves, our future and the world around us
what is a negative self schema in regards to the cognitive explanation of depression
- a ‘package’ of knowledge that stores info about our self and the world
- these schemas develop during childhood
- according to Beck, depressed ppl possess negative self schemas which come from negative experiences
eg: criticism from parents
what is an example of a negative self schema?
ineptness schema
describe an ineptness schema
- makes sufferers expect to fail
- self blame that makes them feel responsible for misfortunes
- constantly reminds them of their worthlessness
describe Beck’s cognitive biases in regard to the cognitive explanation for depression
- depressed ppl are more likely to focus on negative aspects of situation
- this distorts information–> known as cognitive bias
name two types of cognitive bias according to Beck
- overgeneralisations
- catastrophising
describe overgeneralisations as a type of cognitive bias
- depressed person makes a sweeping conclusion based on a single incident
eg: “ I failed end ofunit test so I will fail whole A-level”
describe catastrophising as a type of cognitive bias
- depressed person exaggerates a minor setback and believe it is a complete disaster
“I’ve failed end of unit test therefore I am never going to study and uni or get a good job”
according to beck, what leads to depression
- negative self schemas and cognitive biases maintain the negative triad which is a negative view of three key aspects of a persons life which leads to depression
what does Ellis say in regards to causes of depression
- according to Ellis, good mental health is the result of rational thinking which allows ppl to be pain free and happy
- whereas depression is the result of irrational thinking which prevents us from being happy and pain free
what does Ellis’ ABC model stand for?
- activating event
- beliefs
- consequence
describe ‘activating event’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model
- and event occurs
eg: you pass a friend in the corridor and she ignores you despite you saying hello
describe ‘beliefs’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model
- your interpretation of an event
- either rational or irrational
eg:
rational: your friend might not have heard/saw you
irrational: your friend dislikes you and never want to speak to you again
describe ‘consequence’ as a stage of Ellis’s ABC model
-rational beliefs lead to helthy outcomes eg; I will speak to my friend later to see if she is ok
-irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotional outcomes, including depression eg; I will block my friend’s number as they clearly do not want to talk to me
what are 2 beliefs that irrational beliefs can include
- musturbation
- utopianism
describe musturbation
the belief that we must always succeed and achieve perfection
describe utopianism
the belief that life must always be fair
what are some A03 points about the cognitive approach of depression
-there may be other more credible explanations –> demonstrates machine reductionism
-does not explain the origin of irrational thoughts –> therefore may struggle discussing cause and effect
-soft determinism –> less deterministic than other approaches
what are cognitive treatments for depression based on?
- cognitive treatments for depression are based on the assumption that faulty thinking/thought processes make a person vulnerable to depression
what does the cognitive element in CBT aim to identify when treating depression?
- aims to identify irrational thoughts that lead to depression and replace them with more positive rational ones
what does the behavioural element in CBT aim to do when treating depression?
- aims to encourage patients to test their beliefs through behavioural experiments and homework
what are the various components of CBT?
1) initial assessment
2) goal setting
3) identifying negative/irrational thoughts and challenging them –> either with Beck’s cognitive therapy or Ellis’s REBT
4) homework
describe Beck’s cognitive behavioural therapy
- identify negative thoughts about themselves, world and future using Beck’s negative triad
- patient and therapist then work together to challenge these thoughts, by discussing evidence for and against them
- patient then encouraged to test validity and test these thoughts for homework
describe Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
- like Beck, main idea is to challenge irrational thoughts, however this is done through dispute
- therapist will dispute irrational thoughts and replace them with more effective beliefs/attitudes
- different types of dispute –> logical or empirical
logical = where the therapist questions the logic of patient’s thoughts
empirical= where therapist seeks evidence
what are some A03 points of the cognitive approach to treating depression (CBT and REBT)
-may not be appropriate for all people –> alternative biological treatment may be more suited
-there is evidence to support effectiveness –> widely seen as first choice
-may not be effective for certain types of depression–> ineffective in treating reactive depression
-expencive as trained specialist therapist is required–> biological approach may be more economically accessable
