Psychopathology - cognitive treatments of depression

Question 1

What therapy did Beck develop to help treat depression

Answer 1

Beck developed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Question 2

simply

How did Beck go about treating depression

Answer 2

The central task to treating depression is to identify the negative triad and problematic thinking, and then challenge it.

Question 3

How does CBT work

Answer 3

1. Helps the client understand this irrationality and the consequences of thinking in this way.
2. CBT focuses on the self-defeating beliefs that accompany them and tries to dispute them.
3. CBT then helps them substitute these thoughts with more effective problem-solving methods.

Question 4

What happens during CBT

Answer 4

During CBT You and your therapist willanalyse your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to work out if they’re unrealistic or unhelpful and to determine theeffect they have oneach other and on you. Your therapist will be able to help you work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
Homework would then involve questioning upsetting thoughts and replacing them with more helpful ones.

Question 5

How long does CBT take

Answer 5

6-20 weekly or fortnightly sessions lasting between 30-60 minutes

Question 6

Where does CBT take place

Answer 6

Can take place in a clinic, outside or in their own home.

Question 7

How much effort is required for CBT

Answer 7

Lots of effort for all involved this results in people going one of 2 ways
1. they become invested invested so work harder
2. they find it too hard and quit
Option 2 is more likely for patients with depression which is what CBT treats

Question 8

How effective is CBT

Answer 8

CBT is often favoured over other therapies because it aims to get rid of the problem not just the symptoms.

Question 9

Give some research to support the effectiveness of CBT

Answer 9

March et al. (2007)
CBT is at least as good as drug therapy in treating depression.
After 36 weeks, 327 adolescents with depression 81% improvement with CBT, 81% with antidepressants and 86% with combination therapy.

Question 10

What therapy did Ellis develop to treat depression

Answer 10

REBT (rational emotive behavioural therapy)

Question 11

What are 2 therapies used to treat depression

Answer 11

• REBT
• CBT

Question 12

How did Ellis go about treating depression

Answer 12

Central to his treatment is continuing the ABC model further, into DE

Question 13

What is ABCDE model

Answer 13

Ellis’ ABCDE model is an expansion on his ABC model to include Dispute and Effect.

Question 14

What are the DE for in the ABCDE model

Answer 14

D – stands for DISPUTE
Identifying negative beliefs and disputing them.

E – stands for EFFECT
Lead to more rational thoughts, change in behaviour, positive effect on their emotions

Question 15

When is ABC-DE applied

Answer 15

in REBT

Question 16

What happens during REBT

Answer 16

there are 3 types of disputing:
- Logical
- Empirical
- pragmatic

Question 17

Apply REBT to Lewis
“Lewis fails to save a shot in a penalty shoot out, having saved the previous four.”

Answer 17

Logical disputing = Does it make sense to think you are terrible if you didn’t save one goal.

Empirical disputing = You saved 4 penalty shots where is the evidence you are terrible at football.

Pragmatic disputing = Is it beneficial to you football game to think you are terrible and shouldn’t play

Question 18

What is Logical disputing

Answer 18

Questioning - Is this logical? Does it make sense to think this way?

Question 19

What is empirical disputing

Answer 19

Questioning - Where is the evidence and proof for these thoughts and beliefs?

Question 20

what is pragmatic disputing

Answer 20

Questioning - Is thinking this wat useful and helpful in your life?

Question 21

What are the limitations of using the cognitive approach to treat depression

Answer 21

• The Cognitive approach puts the burden of responsibility on the person – to change their thinking.
• What if some of the person’s ‘irrational’ beliefs are really true? - hard to dispute and therefore the therapy doesnt work.
• What comes first? The emotion or the cognition? When you feel depressed emotionally, is this because of your thinking or is your thinking due to your emotion?
• Both Ellis and Beck developed talking therapy - a client may struggle to engage with the sessions and the homework tasks - this is particularly a problem with depressed people, which due to unwillingness from their symptoms may lead to a high drop out rate.