Cognitive approach to treating depression

Question 1

Cognitive treatments of depression

Answer 1

Both Beck’s CBT and Ellis’s REBT attempt to challenge irrational beliefs and negative schemas through cognitive restructuring

Question 2

Beck’s CBT

Answer 2

-Beck’s CBT allows clients to generate and test hypotheses about the validity of their irrational beliefs; when they realise that their irrational beliefs do not match reality, their schemas will change and these irrational beliefs will be discarded
-Firstly, the therapist teaches the client how to identify irrational beliefs from the negative triad of schemas
-To do this, clients are given the homework task of keeping a journal and recording negative thoughts and situations that cause negative thinking
-They are then asked to take part in activities they used to enjoy as a part of hypotheses testing
-This challenges negative schemas and irrational beliefs and replaces them

Question 3

Ellis REBT

Answer 3

-Ellis REBT is a development of Ellis’s CBT model, adding D (dispute) and E (effect)
-Dispute involves the use of empirical arguments to challenge the client to produce evidence for irrational thoughts, and using logical arguments to show that the irrational belief does not make sense
-The E part (effect) is that the reduced irrational beliefs (B) leads to less positive consequences (C)
-The therapist can also use shame-attacking exercises; this involves asking the client to perform a behaviour they have a fear of in front of people. This shows the client that they can cope with the unpleasant experience and survive the disapproval of others

Question 4

Difference between Beck’s CBT and Ellis’s REBT

Answer 4

-In Beck’s CBT, the therapist helps the client figure out the irrationality of their beliefs by generating and testing their own hypotheses to test the validity of these irrational beliefs
-However, in Ellis’s REBT, the therapist directly explains the irrationality of these beliefs to the client through disputation

Question 5

Positive + negative Research evaluation of cognitive treatments for depression (March 2007) effectiveness of CBT and need for drug therapies to stabilise patients

Answer 5

-March (2007) randomly assigned patients to three groups: one group would take part in CBT, one would be given drug therapies (SSRIs) and the other group was given a combined treatment (CBT and drug therapy)
-The findings supported the effectiveness of CBT, with both drug therapies and CBT having an effectiveness rate of 81%
-However, the combined treatment resulted in the highest effectiveness rate at 86%
-This may be because some people with depression are too severely depressed to engage with the demands of CBT, therefore suggesting that drug therapies may be required to stabilise the patient before cognitive treatment

Question 6

Positive evaluation of CBT (gives them an active role and allows them to overcome their depression)

Answer 6

-CBT gives an active role to clients, allowing them to overcome their depression using the tools provided by the therapist
-This can empower the client and give them a sense of personal efficacy, enabling them to take control of their lives and make positive changes

Question 7

Negative + Positive evaluation of CBT (expense and preferability of CBT compared to drug therapies)

Answer 7

-Since CBT requires 16 to 20 sessions with a trained therapist, this can be a very expensive treatment opition that is limited to a few socioeconomic groups
-However, CBT is the preferred treatment over drug therapies due to its lack of side effects and ability to treat the root cause of depression, rather than just reducing symptoms like drug therapies
-The long term effects of drug treatments allows sufferers to become more productive workers, contributing to to the economy
-Therefore CBT might be a better treatment from a cost-benefit analysis