L9 - Cognitive Explanations of Depression Flashcards
what is the UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION of the COGNITIVE EXPLANATION of DEPRESSION?
The UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION of the COGNITIVE EXPLANATION of DEPRESSION is that DEPRESSION is the RESULT of ‘DISTURBANCE’ in THINKING
Depression is a CONSEQUENCE of FAULTY AND NEGATIVE THINKING ABOUT EVENTS and it can be MANAGED BY CHALLENGING THIS FAULTY THINKING
what did BECK BELIEVE?
BECK BELIEVED that depressed people have ACQUIRED A NEGATIVE SCHEMA DURING CHILDHOOD and so have a TENDENCY TO ADOPT A PESSIMISTIC VIEW OF THE WORLD
SCHEMAS are COGNTIIVE FRAMEWORKS that HELP US ORGANISE and INTERPRET INFORMATION and MAKE SENSE OF NEW INFORMATION. So we can see how FAULTY AND NEGATIVE SCHEMAS can lead to NEGATIVE THINKING AND DEPRESSION
This may be CAUSE by a NUMBER OF FACTORS, including PARENTAL/PEER REJECTION and CRITICISM FROM TEACHERS
when are NEGATIVE SCHEMAS ACTIVATED?
These NEGATIVE SCHEMAS are ACTIVATED whenever the person ENCOUNTERS A NEW SITUATION that RESEMBLES the ORIGINAL CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE SCHEMA WAS LEARNED
NEGATIVE SCHEMAS lead to COGNITIVE BIASES IN THINKING.
For example, OVERGENERALISATIONS (e.g someone thinking they’re stupid) ON THE BASIS OF ONE SMALL PIECE OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK (e.g failing one class test)
what is BECK’s NEGATIVE TRIAD? (SWF)
NEGATIVE SCHEMAS and COGNITIVE BIASES MAINTAIN THE NEGATIVE TRIAD
This is an IRRATIONAL VIEW of THREE ELEMENTS in the PERSON’S BELIEF SYSTEM
- NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE SELF (e.g ‘I am boring’)
- NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE WORLD (e.g ‘everyone thinks I’m boring)
- NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE WORLD (e.g ‘people will always think I’m boring’)
+ TERRY (EVALUATION OF THE NEGATIVE TRIAD)
+ there is A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE to suggest that NEGATIVE and IRRATIONAL THINKING CAUSES DEPRESSION
TERRY ASSESSED 65 PREGNANT WOMEN for COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY BEFORE AND AFTER THEY GAVE BIRTH
It was found that women who had a HIGH COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY (they thought negatively) were MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER POST-PARTUM DEPRESSION
This supports the COGNITIVE APPROACH that NEGATIVE THINKING CAN CAUSE DEPRESSION
- CAUSE AND EFFECT (EVALUATION OF THE NEGATIVE TRIAD)
- A weakness of this explanation is that CAUSE AND EFFECT IS NOT CLEAR.
Can we say that NEGATIVE and IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS CAUSE DEPRESSION to DEVELOP; or could we say that DEPRESSION DEVELOPS FIRST (from a different source e.g genetics) and then THIS CAUSES THE PATIENT TO THINK in a NEGATIVE AND IRRATIONAL WAY
- SYMPTOMS? (EVALUATION OF THE NEGATIVE TRIAD)
- the NEGATIVE TRIAD CAN BE CRITICISED because it DOES NOT EXPLAIN how SOME SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION MIGHT DEVELOP
Some depression patients are VERY ANGRY and BECK’S THEORY FAILS TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS.
BECK’S THEORY also DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE MANIC PHASES experienced by patients with BIPOLAR DISORDER
what did ELLIS PROPOSE?
ELLIS PROPOSED that depression is CAUSED BY IRRATIONAL BELIEFS.
He DEVISED THE ABC MODEL TO EXPLAIN HOW IRRATIONAL and NEGATIVE BELIEFS ARE FORMED
what is the (ABC) MODEL? by ELLIS
(A) Activating Event
(B) Beliefs
(C) Consequences
what is the ‘A’ in ABC MODEL?
ACTIVATING EVENT - an INCIDENT IN SOMEONE’S LIFE (e.g getting fired from work)
what is the ‘B’ in ABC MODEL?
BELIEFS - the THOUGHTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE ACTIVATING EVENT
These COULD BE RATIONAL (e.g ‘the company was overstaffed’) OR IRRATIONAL (e.g ‘they have always had it in for me’)
what is the ‘C’ in ABC MODEL?
CONSEQUENCES - the EMOTIONS THAT ARE CAUSE BY THESE BELIEFS
RATIONAL BELIEFS are LIKELY TO LEAD TO HEALTHY EMOTIONS (e.g acceptance), whereas IRRATIONAL BELIEFS are LIKELY TO LEAD TO UNHEALTHY EMOTIONS (e.g depression)
+ BATES (EVALUATION OF THE ABC MODEL)
+ there is RESEARCH TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF THE ABC MODEL as a CAUSE OF DEPRESSION
BATES found that DEPRESSED PPS who were GIVEN NEGATIVE THOUGHT STATEMENTS became MORE AND MORE DEPRESSED; supporting the view that NEGATIVE THINKING HELPS TO CAUSE DEPRESSION
- SELF BLAME (EVALUATION OF THE ABC MODEL)
- although the ABC MODEL gives the client some POWER TO CHANGE THE SITUATION and IMPROVE THEIR SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION; it BLAMES THE CLIENT FOR THEIR DEPRESSION
