L10: The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Treating Depression (Beck And Ellis)

Question 1

Cognitive behavioural therapy by Beck AO1

Answer 1

• central idea of Beck’s is to challenge and restructure negative ways of thinking so that they become more positive and rational
• used on individuals and small groups
• patient has control over their thinking
• focuses on present experiences
• therapist needs to be highly trained
• depressed people think in a more positive way which might influence their behaviour
• beck would use cognitive triad as the basis
• patients encouraged to identify their negative thoughts - “thought catching”
• patients encouraged to test negative thinking out
• patients would have to keep a record of events to prove existence of positive events
• reinforcement of positive thoughts
• patients attend weekly sessions.

Question 2

Evaluation- beck - effective (+) (-)

Answer 2

(+) : it is effective to use when a patient has mild depression from getting much worse - CBT stops it getting worse
(+) : if depression is severe then drugs/medication might be more appropriate than CBT

Question 3

Evaluation- Beck - anti-depressant (-)

Answer 3

Drugs require less effort than CBT. Cujipers found that CBT can be very effective if it is combined with drug therapy. Therefore CBT may not be as effective on its own.

Question 4

Evaluation- Beck- widely respected (+)

Answer 4

Widely respected and supported by lots of research as a therapy for depression. Offered as a cost effective treatment for many disorders by the NHS, especially depression. The treatment is quite economical compared to other treatments, such as the psychodynamic approach.

Question 5

Evaluation-beck- underlying issues (+)

Answer 5

It is praised because it tends to get to the root of the cause of the depressive problem. Usually, CBT a can identify the real underlying issue that causes the depression in the first place . Other treatments like drugs and medication do not, but act as a ‘plaster’ that masks depression symptoms

Question 6

Evaluation- beck- long term (+)

Answer 6

Used as a long term cure for depression. Once a patient has undergone CBT, it has a lasting positive outcomes and there is a high chance that the patient has actually been cured and they are less likely to suffer a relapse. Cost effective for the NHS. When a depressed patient has successfully completed CBT treatment they are very unlikely to return to hospital needing further treatment in the future -

Question 7

Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy - Ellis- AO1

Answer 7

-This therapy makes depressed clients think in a more rational and positive manner.
- therapist aims to challenge depressed parents thinking and show them how irrational their thoughts are.
- patients told to practise positive and optimistic thinking - positive impact on behaviour
-REBT: reinterpreting ABC model in a more positive and logical way.
-Homework: patients receive homework between therapy sessions which is vital for testing irrational beliefs in the real world.
-Behavioural Activities: CBT encourages depressed clients to become more active and engage in pleasurable activities. Encourages active participation
-

Question 8

DEF - Ellis (AO1)- Disputing

Answer 8

Disputing Irrational thoughts and behaviour :

• logical disputing: self defeating beliefs do not follow logically from the info , ‘does this thinking make sense?’
• empirical disputing: self defeating beliefs may not be consistent with reality, ‘you believe everyone hates you, but there is not enough proof of this’

Question 9

DEF- Ellis - (AO1) - Effects

Answer 9

Effects of disputing and effective attitude to life
- changes self defeating beliefs into positive beliefs (rational beliefs). Depressed patients go from “no one likes me” to “they aren’t responding to my message because they are busy, not because they hate me”

Question 10

DEF- Ellis (AO1) - Feelings

Answer 10

Feelings/emotions

-they begin to think in a more positive and rational way they feel better. Has a positive impact on their behaviour.

Question 11

Evaluation- Ellis- Flannaghan (+)

Answer 11

• He supports the REBT as successful in treating depressive stroke victims. REBT is a suitable treatment for specific groups of people with depression and can help the, become more positive over time in terms of their thoughts and behaviour.

Question 12

Evaluation- Ellis- David- (+)

Answer 12

David compared 170 depressive patients who had 14 weeks of REBT with treatment of the drug fluoxetine. Outcomes were compared 6 months later and REBT was more effective long term

Question 13

Evaluation- Ellis- cause of depression (-)

Answer 13

It is unclear if the negative thinking is the cause of depression or just a symptom. If it is a symptom then REBT is not tackling the root of the depression and the depression may return in the future. This means depression has not been cured properly.

Question 14

Evaluation- Ellis - articulate clients (-)

Answer 14

It relies on patients being articulate and talk coherently about their thought processes. REBT would not work on people with severe depression or have difficulty communicating properly. Other treatments like drug therapy would have to be considered.

Question 15

Evaluation- Ellis- therapist (-)

Answer 15

Success of REBT relies on the Therapist skill. The more skilled the therapist, the better the outcome. This is esssential for treatments effectiveness.