Depression Explanations: Cognitive Approach

Question 1

How does mental health affect behavior?

Answer 1

Mental health affects behavior through negative biases (faulty thinking) which leads to depression.

Question 2

What is Ellis’s ‘ABC Model’?

Answer 2

The ‘ABC Model’ states that mental disorders are due to irrational beliefs.

Question 3

What are the components of the ‘ABC Model’?

Answer 3

Activating Event, Belief, and Consequence.

Question 4

What is an Activating Event?

Answer 4

An event that triggers a belief, e.g., getting fired from a job.

Question 5

What is a rational belief?

Answer 5

A rational belief is one that leads to healthy emotions, e.g., ‘I got fired because the company is overstaffed.’

Question 6

What is an irrational belief?

Answer 6

An irrational belief leads to unhealthy emotions, e.g., ‘I was sacked because they hate me.’

Question 7

What is Mustabatory Thinking?

Answer 7

Mustabatory Thinking includes beliefs that certain things must be true for someone to be happy.

Question 8

What are the three mustabatory beliefs?

Answer 8

1. I must be accepted by people.
2. I must do well or I am worthless.
3. The world must give me happiness or else I’ll die.

Question 9

What is Beck’s ‘Negative Triad’?

Answer 9

The Negative Triad is an irrational view of three key elements in a personal belief system.

Question 10

What are the three elements of the Negative Triad?

Answer 10

The Self, The World, and The Future.

Question 11

What does ‘The Self’ represent in the Negative Triad?

Answer 11

‘The Self’ represents thoughts like ‘I’m plain and undesirable.’

Question 12

What does ‘The World’ represent in the Negative Triad?

Answer 12

‘The World’ represents thoughts like ‘I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t like me.’

Question 13

What does ‘The Future’ represent in the Negative Triad?

Answer 13

‘The Future’ represents thoughts like ‘I am always going to be on my own.’

Question 14

How are negative schemes acquired?

Answer 14

Negative schemes are acquired in childhood and activated in similar conditions.

Question 15

What can cause cognitive bias?

Answer 15

Cognitive bias can be caused by parents, peers, or teachers through criticism, rejection, or abuse.

Question 16

What did Brates’ findings suggest about negative thoughts and depression?

Answer 16

Brates found that when patients were given negative automatic thought statements, they became more depressed, suggesting a link between negative thoughts and depression.

This supports Ellis’ theory.

Question 17

What is a real-world application of the explanation of negative thoughts and depression?

Answer 17

The explanation has led to the successful treatment method of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which changes irrational thought processes into rational ones.

Question 18

What did Cohen’s study on adolescents reveal about cognitive vulnerability?

Answer 18

Cohen tracked 473 adolescents and found that early cognitive vulnerability predicted susceptibility to later depression, highlighting its usefulness in clinical practice.

Question 19

What limitation does Ellis’ ABC Model have regarding types of depression?

Answer 19

Ellis’ ABC Model describes reactive depression but not endogenous depression, limiting its explanatory power.

Question 20

Why is the explanation of depression by Beck and Ellis considered weak?

Answer 20

Not all episodes of depression have an activating event, which limits the ability of their explanations to account for all causes of depression.

Question 21

What aggressive behavior aspect is overlooked by Beck and Ellis?

Answer 21

Some individuals with depression experience aggressive behavior, which is not explained or discussed by Beck and Ellis, indicating a limitation in their theories.

Question 22

What is a criticism regarding the focus of Beck and Ellis’ theories?

Answer 22

Their theories blame the individual rather than considering situational factors, which may lead therapists to overlook important contextual causes during CBT.

Question 23

How can biological factors explain depression?

Answer 23

Depression can be biologically explained by low serotonin levels, with treatments like SSRIs acting to increase serotonin.

Question 24

What does the Diathesis Stress explanation suggest about genetic vulnerability?

Answer 24

The Diathesis Stress explanation suggests that individuals with a genetic vulnerability to depression are more likely to experience it when subjected to stressors.