Psychopathology: cognitive approach to depression

Question 1

What does the cognitive approach say about depression

Answer 1

• assumes behaviours are controlled by thoughts and beliefs.

Question 2

what is Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 2

(A) Activating event, e.g. failed exam
|
v
(B) belief about why this event happened:
rational beliefs -> I didn’t prepare.
OR
Irrational beliefs -> I’m too stupid.
|
v
(C) consequences of belief:
Appropriate consequences -> revision
OR
Inappropriate consequences -> depression

Question 3

What is Beck’s negative triad

Answer 3

• Identified ‘negative triad’ of automatic thoughts linked to depression -> views about:
  -> selves e.g. can’t succeed
  -> world e.g. must be successful to be a good person
  -> future e.g. nothing will change

Question 4

Evaluate the cognitive approach to depression

Answer 4

(+) useful approach -> considers thoughts and beliefs which are involved in problems like depression.
- Hollen and Kendall -> Automatic thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) -> Measures negative thinking.
- Harrell and Ryan used ATQ to compare thinking of depressed and non-depressed ppts.
-> depressed ppts scored higher, correlation between negative thinking and depression.

(+) Cognitive therapies are often successful.

(-) Negative thoughts may simply be a consequence of depression rather than its cause.
-> e.g. chemical imbalance can cause negative thoughts.
(-) person fears he/she is to blame for their problems.

Question 5

What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Answer 5

• patients learns to notice their negative thoughts an tests their accuracy.

1) therapist + clients work to identify negative thoughts.
2) helps client see that cognitions aren’t true -> e.g. that the client doesn’t always fail.
3) set goals on positive + adaptive thinking, e.g. focusing on successes of client and trying to build on them.
4) although this involves looking back on past exes, the treatment focuses on the present situations.
5) Encouraged to keep a diary -> record thought patterns, feelings etc.

Question 6

Give the strengths of CBT

Answer 6

• empowers clients -> they feel in charge of their treatment -> less ethical issues than drug therapy.
• Hollen compared ppts form DeRubeis study after withdrawn from treatment (CBT+drug) with ppts who continued drug treatment.
  -> ppts who had CBT less likely to relapse after one year than those who had drug treatment.
• Brandsma -> CBT was especially effective for people who put lots of pressure on selves -> guilty about being inadequate.

Question 7

List the weaknesses of CBT

Answer 7

• may take a long time and is costly.
  -> may be more effective combined with other treatments like drug therapy.
• Derubeis -> only effective with experienced therapies
  -> therapists still gaining exp may be better with drug therapy.
• the person could they could be blamed for their problems.
• Derubeis -> compared CBT and drug therapy in a placebo-controlled trial.
  -> both were more effective than the placebo after 8 weeks.
  -> both similarly effective -> however CBT may have been less effective with therapists that lacked exp.