Treatments for Depression

Question 1

What is CBT?

Answer 1

The underpinning notion behind CBT is that the individual’s thought processes are irrational/faulty and these faulty thought processes should be cognitively restructured in order to reflect reality accurately.
CBT was developed by Beck – he designed it to address the issues of the negative triad and the results of the negative schema, which develops during childhood.

Question 2

What is REBT?

Answer 2

A form of CBT that assumes that depression is caused by the irrational beliefs and aims to replace these irrational beliefs with rational beliefs and constructive behaviour. This therapy does not attempt to change the events that happen to someone, it aims to change the way in which a client interprets the events.

ABC,
D - Disputing – means questioning and challenging. Here, irrational beliefs are disputed.
E - Effects –the effects that the disputing of the irrational beliefs has on the client’s attitude to life.
F - Feelings - these are the new feeling (emotions) that are produced.

Question 3

A03 - Drug conjunction

Answer 3

• There is much research support to indicate that CBT and REBT, are effective, particularly when used in conjunction with drug therapy.

-Fava et al’s (1998) findings support the effectiveness of CBT in reducing relapse rates for depression.
- They assigned depressives to one of two groups:
(i) drugs followed by CBT
or (ii) drugs followed by training on how to take their drugs.

• Using a two year follow up, only 25% of the CBT group had relapsed compared to 80% for the drug treatment.
• Hence, CBT can be affective in the avoidance of relapse when used with drug therapy.
• However, the study did not investigate the use of CBT alone questioning its effectiveness as a sole therapy for depression.

Question 4

A03 - Don’t adress biological factors - Genome Wide Linkage Study

Answer 4

• CBT/REBT do not address the biological explanation of depression. -
• The recent “genome wide linkage study’, called the Depression Network Study, found that depression is thought to involve both genetic and environmental factors, with genetics playing a larger role in the type of depression that is severe and recurrent.
• This could explain why drug therapy through SSRI’s are effective in up to 60% of those taking them.
• These further questions the use of CBT/REBT as a comprehensive therapy for all who suffer from depression.