Becks explanation of depression

Question 1

what are the 6 AO1 points you must know for Becks explanation of depression?

Answer 1

-Cognitive Approach Focus
-Negative Schemas
-Cognitive Biases / Errors in Thinking
-The Negative Triad
-Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)
-Maintenance of Depression

Question 2

What does the cognitive approach suggest about depression?

Answer 2

It proposes that depression is caused by faulty thinking patterns, not just biological or external factors.

Question 3

What are negative schemas in Beck’s theory?

Answer 3

Deeply held negative beliefs developed in childhood, such as feeling unloved or inadequate, which affect how one sees the world.

Question 4

What are cognitive biases in depression?

Answer 4

Distorted thinking styles like catastrophising, overgeneralisation, and black-and-white thinking that reinforce negative views.

Question 5

What is Beck’s negative triad?

Answer 5

A pattern of negative thinking about the self, the world, and the future.

Question 6

What are automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)?

Answer 6

Spontaneous, negative thoughts that occur automatically, e.g. “I’m useless,” “The world is awful,” “Things will never improve.”

Question 7

How do these factors maintain depression?

Answer 7

Negative schemas, biases, and the triad interact to sustain depression, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of low mood and faulty thinking.