The cognitive approach to explaining depression - A-Level Psychology
Beck’s cognitive theory of depression
Faulty information processing-Ignoring the positives of a situation
Negative self schemas-patients may have a negative self schema so interpret all information about themselves in a negative way.They have developed a negative schema during childhood.These lead to systematic cognitive biases in thinking.
The negative triad:
It is a pessimistic and irrational view of three key elements in a person’s belief system.
-negative view of the world
-negative view of the future which reduces any hopefulness and enhances depression
-negative view of the self which enhance depression due to low self esteem
Ellis’s ABC model
Ellis used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state.
A-activating event He believed that negative events trigger irrational beliefs
B-beliefs
C-consequences Irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotions such as depression
Musturbatory thinking-The source of irrational beliefs lies in musturbatory thinking which is thinking that certain ideas or assumptions must be true in order for an individual to be happy.An individual who holds such assumptions is bound to be disappointed and thus depressed.
Evaluation:
Practical application in CBT-cognitive aspects of depression can be identified and challenged .The patient can be encouraged to test whether their irrational thoughts are true.
Irrational beliefs may be realistic-Alloy and Abrahmson suggest that depressive realists tend to see things for what they are and give more accurate estimates of the likelihood of a disaster than normal controls.
Biological approach-this suggests that genes and neurotransmitters may cause depression.Zhang et al (2005) found low levels of serotonin in depressed people.
Blames the client rather than situational factors-the cognitive suggest that the client is responsible for their disorder.This is a good thing as it gives the client the power to change the way things are.However it may cause a therapist to ignore other factors.
The cognitive approach suggests that depression is caused by negative thought patterns and beliefs. According to this theory, people with depression have a tendency to interpret events in a negative way, leading to a spiral of negative thoughts and feelings.
The cognitive approach suggests that depression is caused by negative thinking patterns, such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and jumping to conclusions. The key principles of the cognitive approach also include the idea that people with depression have negative schemas or core beliefs about themselves, the world, and the future.
Cognitive therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), are often used to treat depression. These therapies aim to identify and change negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to depression.
Cognitive therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. Studies have found that cognitive therapy is as effective as antidepressant medication for treating mild to moderate depression, and can be more effective than medication in preventing relapse.
You can use the cognitive approach to manage your own depression by identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and beliefs. This can involve keeping a thought diary to track your negative thoughts, and then questioning the evidence for and against these thoughts. You can also try to reframe your negative thoughts in a more positive or balanced way.
Some critics of the cognitive approach argue that it oversimplifies the complex causes of depression, and that it focuses too much on negative thinking patterns at the expense of other factors, such as genetics, environment, and biology. Others argue that the cognitive approach places too much emphasis on individual responsibility for depression, and ignores the social and cultural factors that contribute to depression.
Still got a question? Leave a comment
Leave a comment