Psychopathology: Treating Depression Flashcards
what’s CBT?
a method of treating mental disorders based on cognitive and behavioural techniques. from the cognitive viewpoint the therapy aims to deal with thinking, such as challenging negative thoughts. the therapy also includes behavioural techniques such as behavioural activation.
what’s Beck’s cognitive therapy?
the aim to identify automatic thoughts about the world, future and self. once identified, they can be challenged. it also helps patients test the reality of their negative beliefs. ‘patient as scientist’ - the patient may have homework to note down when they enjoy an event. then in later sessions, the therapist can show proof that the patient’s thoughts are irrational.
what’s Eliss’s rational emotive behaviour therapy?
His model had been extended to ABCDE. D is dispute and E is effect. it aim is to identify and dispute irrational thoughts. it may involve a vigorous arguement. the intended effect is to change the irrational belief and break the link between negative life events and depression. empirical arguement is when there’s evidence to support the negative belief and logical arguement is whether the beliefs follows from the facts.
how is CBT effective? (A03)
March compared to effects of CBT with antidepressant drugs and a combination of the 2 in 327 depressed adolescents. after 36 weeks, 81% in the CBT group, 81% in the antidepressant group and 86% in the combination were significantly improved. CBT is just as helpful as medication.
why won’t CBT work in severe cases? (A03)
in some cases, depression is so severe that patients can’t motivate themselves to engage in the hard cognitive work of CBT. they may be unfocused. where this is the case, antidepressants are the better option and then CBT when they are more alert. this means CBT can’t be used as the sole treatment is all cases.
why might success of CBT be due to therapist-patient relationship? (A03)
Rosenzweig suggested the difference in different methods of psychotherapy is quite small and the essential thing is the therapist-patient relationship. the quality of the relationship determines the success rather than a particular technique. many comparative reviews find very small differences which supports the view that simply having someone to talk to is what matters most.
