Depression

Question 1

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 1

• Sadness
• Emptiness
• Worthlessness/hopelessness
• Low self esteem
• Negative emotions
• Despair
• Anger

Question 2

What are the behavioral characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

• Shift in activity levels
• Tiredness and reduced energy
• Increased agitation, less sleep
• Appetite change

Question 3

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

• Negative thoughts/self-beliefs
• Guilt
• Worthlessness
• Negative view of the world
• Negative life expectation
• Irrationality

Question 4

What is Ellis’ ABC model?

Answer 4

1. Activating event (A)
2. Rational belief OR irraitonal belief (B)
3. Healthy emotion OR unhealthy emotion (C)

Question 5

What is mustabatory thinking?

Answer 5

• Thinking certain ideas or assumptions must be true in order for an individual to be happy
• An individual who holds such assumptions is likely to be disappointed, so they must be challenged to maintain a healthy mental state

Question 6

What is Beck’s negative triad?

Answer 6

1. Negative view of self
2. Negative view of the world
3. Negative view of the future

Question 7

What are the evaluations for the strengths of the cognitive explanations for depression?

Answer 7

Support for role of irrational thinking
* The view that depression is linked to irrational thinking is supported by research
* Hammen and Krantz (1976) found that depressed patients made more errors in logic when they were asked to interpret written materal than non-depressed patients
* Bates et al (1999) found that PPs who were given negative automatic thought statements became more and more depressed
* This research supports the view that negative thinking leads to depression, although the link does not mean that negative thoughts cause depression, they may be a consequence of it
* People could get depression for another reason such as biology

Practical application in therapy
* This approach has practical applications to therapy
* Ellis’ ABC model have been very successfully applied to CBT, which helps to alleviate depression by challenging irrational thinking
* CBT has been consistently found to be the best treatment for depression, especially when used in conjunction with drug treatments
* Usefulness of CBT as a therapy supports the effectiveness of the cognitive approach (if depression is alleviated by challneging irraliton thinking, then it infers such thoughts had a role in the depression in the first place)

Question 8

What are the evaluations for the weaknesses of the cognitive explanations for depression?

Answer 8

Blames the client and NOT the situation
* The cognitive approach would agrue the client is responsible for the disorder
* This placing of emphasis on the client gives the client the power to challenge the way things are
* The client or therapist can overlook situational factors that may be to blame, such as life events or family problem. The disorder is in the client’s mind and getting better relies on changing that rather than other aspects of the client’s environment and life.
* Strength in cognitive approach lies in its focus on the client’s mind and recovery, however other aspects of life must be considered

Goes against biological approach
* The biological appraoch suggests genes and neurotransmitters may cause depression
* The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a role in depression, causing the disorder if you have low levels. Drug therapies increase serotonin levels and have successful returns.
* A gene related to serotonin has also been found, which is ten times more common in those with depression
* The existence of alternative approaches and therapies suggest depression cannot be explained by the cognitive approach alone