Cognitive explanation of depression

What do cognitive explanations of depression believe that the disorder is the result of?

disturbance in thinking

What did Aaron Beck come up with?

Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression

When did he come up with Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression?

1967

Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression (1967): what did he suggest?

that some people are more vulnerable to depression than others - This is due to their cognitions (the way they think)

The 3 parts to this cognitive vulnerability?

faulty informational processing, negative self schema and negative triad

Faulty information processing?

Beck believed that people who are depressed make fundamental errors in logic

Faulty informational processing 2 examples?

attending to and dwelling on the negative and absolutist thinking

Negative self schema: what is a schema?

a building block of knowledge, a ‘package’ of ideas and information that has developed with experience

Negative self schema: what is a self-schema?

the collection of information about yourself

Negative self schema: what is a negative self-schema?

the information you think about yourself is negative - interpret all information about ourselves in a negative way

Negative triad: what did Beck suggest that people with depression become trapped in?

a cycle of negative thoughts

Negative triad: the 3 parts of it?

negative view of the self, negative view of the world and negative view of the future

Negative triad: what all feeds into each other?

all the negative views

What did Albert Ellis propose?

Ellis’s ABC model

Ellis’s ABC model: what did he propose that good mental health is the result of?

irrational thoughts

Ellis’s ABC model: what did he suggest conditions such as depression were the result of?

irrational thoughts

Ellis’s ABC model: what are irrational thoughts?

thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free of pain

Ellis’s ABC model: What did he use this model to explain?

how these irrational thoughts affect our behaviour

Ellis’s ABC model: A?

activating event

Ellis’s ABC model: B?

Belief

Ellis’s ABC model: C?

consequence

Ellis’s ABC model: activating event?

any event that could trigger an irrational thought

Ellis’s ABC model: belief?

an irrational thought that is not supported by reality

Ellis’s ABC model: Consequence?

a behaviour or emotion that results from an irrational thought

Beck’s theory ✔ - P: what has it led to be developed?

treatments

Beck’s theory ✔ - Ex1: what treatment has been developed from this explanation of depression?

the development of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)

Beck’s theory ✔ - Ex2: what can be identified and challenged by CBT?

all of the cognitive aspects of depression

Beck’s theory ✔ - Ev: specifically, what can be challenged by the therapist?