Depression - Treatment Flashcards by Tommy Radford

Cognitive treatments for depression are based upon the assumption that ________________ leave a person vulnerable to depression.

Irrational beliefs & negative thoughts:
Cognitive treatments for depression are based upon the assumption that Irrational beliefs & negative thoughts leave a person vulnerable to depression.

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What does CBT stand for?

Cognitive
Behavioural
Therapy.

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What is the most commonly used psychological treatment for depression?

CBT.

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What does CBT begin with?

It begins with an assessment in which the patient and the therapist work together to clarify the patient’s problems, they jointly identify goals for therapy and put a plan together for them.

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If you see a clinical psychologist for a mental health problem, which treatment are you most likely to receive?

CBT.

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What is one of the central tasks of CBT?

To identify any negative or irrational thoughts tha twill benefit from being challenged.

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What does CBT work to do?

Working to change negative and irrational thoughts and finally put more effective behaviours into place.

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CBT draws on two main treatments for depression, what are these?

Beck’s cognitive therapy and Ellis’ rational emotive behavioural therapy.

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Beck’s cognitive therapy is derived from which explanation for depression?

Beck’s cognitive theory of depression.

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Ellis’ rational emotive behavioural therapy is derived from which explanation for depression?

Ellis’ ABC model.

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What is REBT?

(Ellis’) Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy.

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Who developed CBT and which theory of depression was it based upon?

CBT was developed by Beck and based upon his theory of depression.

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CBT uses a number of different strategies, give examples of these strategies?

Behavioural activation, homework, thought catching and cognitive reconstructing.

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What is behavioural activation focused on?

It focuses on the client becoming more active and engaged in pleasurable activities.

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What is homework?

Homework involves the therapist setting the client small goals and tasks to achieve outside of their therapy session.

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What is homework designed to do?

It is designed to help the patient test their irrational beliefs against reality.

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Give an example of homework being set?

Hanging out with friends more this week.

The client will be asked to keep a diary of their achievements, why is this?

So that when the client is feeling low the therapist can show them all the progress they have made and this gives hope for future successes. It also enables the therapist to have an insight into their life outside their sessions.

What is cognitive reconstruction?

The part of the therapy that aims to reconstruct cognitive distortions and biases.

What is thought catching?

Writing down automatic negative thoughts to allow the therapist to challenge them and consider the client.

What is Ellis’ therapy called?

Rational Emotional Behaviour Therapy, (REBT).

Ellis’ therapy extends the ABC model to ABCDE, what does the D stand for?

Dispute.

Ellis’ therapy extends the ABC model to ABCDE, what does the E stand for?

Effect.

In Ellis’ therapy the ABC model is extended to ABCDE, what does each letter stand for?

Activating event,
Belief,
Consequences,
Dispute,
Effect.

What is meant by dispute?

The therapist challenging the patient's irrational beliefs with more effective beliefs.

Give an example of logical dispute:

The therapist questions the logic behind the client's thoughts.

Which therapy can involve some vigorous argument whilst beliefs are being challenged?

REBT, this is because the beliefs are being disputed.

Give an example of empirical dispute:

The therapist looking for evidence to dispute these thoughts.

What is the use of the argument (dispute) used in REBT?

It is intended to break the link between negative life events and depression.

What is the central technique of REBT?

To identify and dispute irrational beliefs.

What is commonly referred to as the 'patient as the scientist'?

Homework, this is because they investigate the reality of their beliefs in the way a scientist would.

What is logical argument?

Involves disputing whether the negative thought logically follows from the facts.

What is empirical argument?

Involves disputing whether there is actual evidence to support the negative belief.

What is behavioural activation?

The therapist encouraging the depressed patient to be more active and engage in enjoyable activities.

AO3 - Effectiveness.

There is a large body of evidence to support the effectiveness of CBT for depression. March (2007) compared the effects of CBT with antidepressants and a combination of the two in 327 adolescents diagnosed with depression. After 36 weeks 81% of the CBT group, 81% of the antidepressants group and 86% of the combination group was significantly improved. Therefore, there is a good case for making CBT mainstream in the NHS rather than antidepressants.

AO3 - Severe cases.

In some cases depression can be so severe that patients cannot motivate themselves to engage with CBT, they may not be able to pay attention to the sessions either. In this case the patients should be treated with antidepressants first and although it is possible to work around this, CBT cannot be used as a sole treatment.

AO3 - Success due to other factors.

Rosenzweig (1936) suggested the reason for differences in therapy, such as CBT and systematic desensitisation, might actually be small. However, the patient-therapist relationship is the only difference, and the quality of treatment is due to this relationship.

AO3 - Exploration of the past.

One basic principles of CBT is the focus on the present and the future, not the patient's past. Some patients are aware of the link between their childhood experiences and current depression and want to talk about their experiences, they find this 'present-focus' very frustrating.

Traditionally, therapies are about discussing the past and traumatic experiences. What is CBT focused upon?

The present and the future.

AO3 - Overemphasis on cognition.

CBT emphasises heavily what is happening in the mind of the individual, however, this may end up minimising the importance of the circumstances in which they are living. A patient who lives in poverty or suffering abuse needs to change their circumstances, and any approach to therapy that emphasises the mind is inappropriately used.