depression (cognitive) Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is deppression?
An all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self esteem, energy and a loss of interest or pleasure in normal enjoyable activities.
Behavioural characteristics
-lowered activity levels
-disruption to sleep
-aggression and self harm
emotional characteristics
-low moods
-low self esteem
-anger towards themselves or others
cognitive characteristics
- poor concentration levels
- focus on the negative aspects of life
- absolutist thinking
All characteristics acronym:
Depressed mood
Energy (lack of)
Pleasure (lack of)
Reduced self worth
Eating (reduced)
Sadness
Sleeping
Inability to concentrate
Occasional suicidal thoughts
Negative thoughts
cognitive explenations of deppression:
mental illness is ‘faulty thinking.’
Beck and Ellis
Beck and Ellis:
-Beck focuses on faulty information processing using the negative triad.
- Ellis uses the ABC model to explain irrational thoughts.
Becks negative triad and self-schema:
-Faulty information processing,
-a negative self-schema,
-a negative triad.
Negative triad: Beck
- negative views about the world.
- negative views about the future.
- negative views about oneself.
Ellis’ ABC model:
Activating event
Beliefs
Consequences.
(it’s not the event that causes depression, it’s the perception of it.
evaluation of:
+real-world application= lead to CBT.
-There’s alternative explanations for it= biological explanation with SSRI’s.
+Research support for faulty thinking = evidence for Beck’s theories.
-The ABC model is only a partial explanation, sometimes people who haven’t been through trauma are still depressed.
Cognitive treatment: CBT
- identify irrational thoughts
- client and therapist work together to clarify problems
- they jointly identify goals and plan to achieve them.
‘If you change the thinking process, you change the behaviour.’
Ellis’ REBT treatment: CBT
REBT (rational-emotional behaviour therapy)
- identify irrational thoughts
- client and therapist work together to clarify problems
- they jointly identify goals and plan to achieve them.
- dispute the thoughts
- replace them with new beliefs.
Three types of disputing in REBT CBT:
Logical disputing: Does this way make sense?
Empirical disputing—where is the proof?
Pragmatic disputing- how is this belief likely to help me?
Evaluation for treatment:
+CBT is largely effective when combined with drugs
- may not work for all people.
- client circumstances matter, reductionist to everyone
- relapse rate is still high, only a temporary solution
