Psychopathology - strengths + weaknesses of cognitive apporach to treating depression

Question 1

What is the strength of CBT involving being an effective treatment?

Answer 1

• CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression (Seligman et al 1979)
• and evidence suggests that the benefits may last longer than antidepressant drugs
• this is because it puts the control back into the clients own hands and gives them skills to manage their problems

Question 2

What is a strength to the cognitive strength of treating Depression which involves CBT becoming the most widely employed therapy?

Answer 2

• CBT is increasingly becoming the most widely employed therapy by clinical psychologists in the NHS which suggests it’s an effective therapy

Question 3

What is the strength to the cognitive approach of Depression which includes being an appropriate therapy?

Answer 3

• CBT has been seen to be appropriate for the successful treatment of Depression for many groups of people of different ages
• March et al 2007 found CBT to be equally as effective as medication with 81% of both groups showing significant improvement in a study of 327 adolescents

Question 4

What is a limitation to the cognitive approach of treating Depression that involves genetic and biological factors?

Answer 4

• the therapy ignores the genetic and biological factors in states such as Depression
• there is evidence to suggest that genes and the neurotransmitter serotonin play an important role in causing depression which undermines the view that is caused solely by cognitive factors

Question 5

What is a limitation to the cognitive approach of treating Depression which includes drugs and CBT to be equally effective?

Answer 5

• most studies (Evans et al. 1992) find both drugs and CBT to be equally effective drugs and arguably more cost efficient
• CBT has also been found (Simons et al 1995) to be less appropriate for individuals with high levels of life stressors
• the therapist must also be aware that Depression may be based on accurate perception of reality and is not always justified

Question 6

What is a limitation to the cognitive approach of treating Depression which involves the severe cases of depression?

Answer 6

• CBT may not work in the most severe cases of depression
• as by its very nature in severe cases of depression the sufferer will have no motivation to engage with the cognite work
• therefore it would not be appropriate in such circumstance

Question 7

What is a limitation to the cognitive approach of treating Depression which involves the relationship with the patient?

Answer 7

• success of the treatment may be due to the relationship with the patient rather than the treatment per se
• Luborsky et al. (2002) argue that it could be simply having the opportunity to talk to someone that matters the most