Topic 3 - The Cognitive Explanation Of Mental Illness Flashcards
What are the three main dysfunctional belief themes in people with depression?
‘I am worthless’, ‘everything I do results in failure’, ‘the future is hopeless’
What did Beck theorise?
That once depressed, a person would select information from their environment to confirm their negative thought - they will focus on the negatives in a positive situation
What do our irrational thoughts do?
Cause and sustain mental disorders
What did Ellis think?
People with disorders may adopt faulty cognitions can be summarised in three points: ‘I must be outstandingly competent, or I am worthless’, ‘others must treat me considerately, or they are absolutely rotton’, ‘the world should always give me happiness, or I will die’
What do treatments based on the cognitive approach aim to do?
Change the faulty cognitions of people with disorders and replace them with more realistic ones
