BMT - The Cognitive Approach to Explaining and Treating Depression Flashcards
How does the cognitive approach generally explains depression?
in terms of faulty and irrational thought processes and perceptions.
How does the behaviorist explanation link with the cognitive explanation?
the behaviorist explanation focuses on manipulative (faulty) behaviors and the cognitive approach focuses on the maladaptive cognitions that underpin such maladaptive behaviors
What is Beck’s negative triad?
Beck believes people become depressed because the world is seen negatively through negative schemas, which dominates thinking and are triggered whenever individuals are in situations that are similar to those in which negative schemas were learned
How and when are negative schemas formed?
in early childhood and adolescence, when authority figures, such as parents, place unreal demands on individuals and are highly critical of them
What is an ineptness schema?
make depressives expect to fail
What is a self-blame schema?
make depressives feel responsible for all misfortunes
what is negative self-evaluation schemas?
constantly remind depressives of their worthlessness
What is arbitary interference?
conclusions drawn in the absence of suffiencient evidence
i.e. a man concluding he’s worthless because it’s raining the day he hosts an outdoor party
What is selective abstraction?
conclusions drawn from just one part of a situation
i.e. a worker feeling worthless when a product doesn’t work, even though several people made it
What is overgeneralisation?
sweeping conclusions drawn on the basis on a single event
i.e. a student regarding poor performance on a test as proof of his worthlessness
What is magnification and minimization?
exaggerations in evaluation of performance
i.e. a man believing he’s ruined his car due to a small scratch (maximisation) or a woman believing herself worthless despite many praises (minimisation)
What are the three general types of negative schemas about?
the self
the world
the future
What is Ellis’s ABC model
Ellis believed that depressives mistakenly blame external events for their unhappiness
he believed that it is their interpretation of these events that is to blame for their distress.
What does the A in the ABC model stand for?
Activating events - something happens in the environment around you
i.e. your teacher tells you she’s unhappy with your work
What does the B in the ABC model stand for?
beliefs - you hold a belief about the event or situation
i.e. you see yourself as a failure
What does the C in the ABC model stand for?
Consequence - you have an emotional response to your belief
i.e. a feeling of worthlessness
How does the ABC model explain depression?
the activating event triggers an emotion that is seen as true and the consequence is that the individual becomes depressed because they have a negative view about them self and no confidence in their abilitu
What are positive evaluation points for the cognitive explanation for depression?
- good practical applications, a high degree of success has been achieved in treating depression with cognitive therapies in comparison to therapies based on other explanations, thus proving support
- the theory acknowledges that other aspects, such as genes, development and early experiences, can lead to certain thinking patterns which then lead to depression
What are the negative evaluation points for the cognitive explanation for depression?
- cognitive approach has had less success in explaining and treating the manic component of bipolar depression, lessening support for the model as a global explanation of depression
- some critics believe that not all depressed people have a distorted view of their own abilities and that while they may focus on negative elements of events, they do actually understand such events accurately and therefore don’t show the negative biases that Beck believes they should
What is CBT?
CBT assesses patients to identify irrational and maladaptive thoughts and alter them
thoughts are perceived as affecting emotions and behaviour and so are modified to reduce depressive symptoms
What are the two stages of CBT called?
rational behaviour therapy
treatment of automatic thoughts
What is involved in rational behaviour therapy ?
making patients irrational and negative thoughts more rational and positive by challenging these irrational thoughts
patients are told to practice positive thinking and optimistic thinking
What are the positive evaluation points for CBT?
- CBT is the most effective psychological treatment for depression. It is also very effective in stopping mild depression from developing into severe depression.
- the application of CBT occurs over relatively short periods of time compared to others and is more cost effective. CBT also has long-term benefits, as the techniques involved are used continually to stop symptoms returning
