Explaining Depression

Question 1

what approach explains depression?

Answer 1

cognitive approach

Question 2

who are the two theorists involved in the explanation of depression?

Answer 2

• Aaron Beck
• Albert Ellis

Question 3

what is faulty information processing?

Answer 3

• depressed people focus on the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positives
• depressed people tend to have ‘black and white’ thinking
• depressed people overgeneralize and catastrophise

Question 4

what did Aaron Beck suggest?

Answer 4

there are 3 parts to cognitive vulnerability:
- faulty information processing
- negative self-schema
- beck’s negative triad

Question 5

what is negative self schema?

Answer 5

• schema: package of ideas and information developed through experiences, they act as a mental frame-work for the interpretation of sensory information
• self-schema: package of information people have about themselves
• people use schemas to interpret the world so if a person has a negative self schema they interpret all information about themselves in a negative way
• negative self schemas develop from childhood: rejection from peers, criticism from parents

Question 6

what is beck’s negative triad?

Answer 6

• a person develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of three types of negative thinking that occur automatically
• triad: the world, the future and oneself

Question 7

what did Albert Ellis suggest?

Answer 7

• depression is a result of irrational thoughts and the ABC model explains how they affect our behaviour and emotional state

Question 8

how does Ellis define irrational thought?

Answer 8

any thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free from pain

Question 9

what is the ABC model?

Answer 9

A: activating event
B: beliefs about why this happened
C: consequences of the belief