Section 4 : Psychopathology - The Cognitive Approach to Depression

Question 1

What does the cognitive approach assume

Answer 1

• That behaviours are controlled by thoughts and beliefs
• So irrational thoughts and beliefs cause abnormal behaviours

Question 2

What models explain how fatty cognitions can lead to depression

Answer 2

• Ellis’s ABC model
• Beck’s Negative triad

Question 3

Who and when proposed Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 3

Who - Ellis
When - 1962

Question 4

What does the ABC model claim

Answer 4

The ABC model claims that disorders begin with an activating event (e.g. a failed exam) leading to a belief about why this happened

Question 5

What is said about the belief stage in the ABC model

Answer 5

The belief may be rational (e.g. ‘I didn’t prepare enough for an exam’) or irrational (e.g. ‘I’m too stupid to pass exams’)

Question 6

What does the belief lead to

Answer 6

The belief leads to a consequence

Question 7

What do rational beliefs produce

Answer 7

An adaptive (appropriate) consequence (e.g. more revision after failed exam).

Question 8

What do irrational beliefs produce

Answer 8

Irrational beliefs produce maladaptive (bad and inappropriate) consequences (e.g. getting depressed after failed exam)

Question 9

What was Beck’s 1963 triad

Answer 9

Beck’s 1963 triad identified a ‘negative triad’ of automatic thoughts linked to depression -
Negative views about:
- Themselves (e.g. that they can’t succeed at anything)
- The world (e.g. that they must be successful to be a good person)
- The future (e.g. that nothing will change)

Question 10

What are the strengths of the cognitive explanation of depression

Answer 10

• cognitive model offers a useful approach to depression because it considers the role of thought and beliefs - greatly involved in problems like depression
• cognitive therapies have often successfully treated depression

Question 11

What studies strengthen the cognitive explanation for depression

Answer 11

• Hollon and Kendall 1980
• Harrell and Ryon 1983

Question 12

What was Hollon and Kendall

Answer 12

Hollon and Kendall developed the ATQ (automatic thought questionnaire) to measure negative thinking

Question 13

What was Harrell and Ryon

Answer 13

• they used the ATQ to compare negative thinking in 114 depressed and non depressed participants. The depressed participants scored significantly higher than other groups, supporting a correlation between negative thinking and depression

Question 14

What are the weaknesses of the cognitive explanation of depression

Answer 14

• Faulty cognition may simply be the consequences of depression rather than its cause
• e.g. depression may be caused by imbalance in the brain, cause people to think negatively
• The person could begin to feel like he or she is to blame for their problems

Question 15

What is CBT

Answer 15

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• aims to identify and change the patient’s faulty cognitions

Question 16

What is the idea of CBT

Answer 16

The idea is that patients learn how to notice negative thoughts when they have them, and test how accurate they are

Question 17

What generally happens in CBT

Answer 17

• Therapist and client identify the clients faulty cognitions
• Therapist tries to help the client see that these cognitions aren’t true
• they set goals to think in more positive or adaptability ways
• treatment mainly focuses on the present situation, may occasionally look back on past experience
• therapists sometimes encourage their clients to keep a diary

Question 18

What are the advantages of CBT

Answer 18

• Empowers patients, puts them in charge of their own treatment - teaches self help strategies
• Means fewer ethical issues than with other therapies like drug therapy
• DeRubeis et al 2005
• Hollon et al 2005
  -Brandsma et al 1978

Question 19

What was DeRubeis et al 2005

Answer 19

• Compared CBT and drug therapy as depression treatments on a placebo controlled trial.
• both treatments were more effective than the placebo after 8 weeks
• generally the two therapies were similarly effective
• CBT may have been less effective than drug therapy in cases where the therapist lacked experience

Question 20

What was Hollon et al 2005

Answer 20

• Compared participants from DeRubeis after they were withdrawn from treatment (CBT and treatment) with participants who continued drug treatment
• participants withdrawn from CBT were significantly less likely to have relapsed than patients who continued drug treatment

Question 21

What was Brandsma et al 1978

Answer 21

• found that CBT is particularly effective for people who put a lot of pressure on themselves and feel guilty about being inadequate

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of CBT

Answer 22

• Cognitive therapies may take a long time and be costly
• May be more effective when combined with other approaches e.g. drug therapy
• DeRubeis found CBT effective if the therapist is experienced
• Patients with less experienced therapists may be better of with drug therapy
• The person could begin to feel like he or she is to blame for their problems