Cognitive approach to explaining depression - Ellis’ ABC model & Beck’s negative triad

What are the two cognitive approaches to explaining depression?

Beck's negative triad and Ellis' ABC Model

What is Beck's negative triad?

• ppl w depression show cog bias, focusing on the neg, absolutist thinking, overgeneralising and catatrophising

• also have a neg self schema

divided into:

1. neg view ab self: I am worthless

2. neg view of world: everyone is against me

3. neg view ab future: I am never going to amount to anything

   

• Depression inv developm of neg self-schema, results in individ only focusing on negative, undesirable aspects of themselves

• depr person may dev an ineptness schema, believing they will fail at everything they try

• may dev a neg self-evaluation schema, constantly reminding themselves of their own worthlessness

What is Ellis' ABC model?

• A: Activating event: neg events lead to irrational thoughts + depression

• B: Beliefs: your interpretation of event as either irrational/rational

• C: Consequence: activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional + behavioural conseq. rational → healthy emotional outcomes, irr → unhealthy emot outcomes such as depression

what are the strengths of the cognitive approach to explaining depression?

• + : rs

• + : PATRL