Cognitive approach to treating depression

CBT

1950s - Albert Ellis, psychological problems occur as a result of irrational thinking - individuals frequently develop self defeating habits of faulty beliefs about themselves and the world arround them.

• the aim of CBT is to turn these irrational thoughts into rational ones

challenging irrational thoughts

ellis extended his ABC model into ABCDEF

• D = disputing irrational thoughts and beliefs

• E = effects of disputing - effective attitude to life

• F = new feelings that are produced

Challenging beliefs

• logical disputing - self-defeating beliefs do not follow logically from the information available

• Empirical disputing - self defeating beliefs may not be consistent with reality

• Pragmatic disputing - emphasises the lack of useful ness in self-defeating beliefs

The client can move from catastrophising to more rational interpretations of the events - this helps the client become more self-accepting

behavioural activation

CBT often involves a specific focus on encouraging depressed clients to become more active and engage in pleasurable activities

Unconditional positive regard

ellis 1994 - therapy must convince the client of the value as a human being - the therapist must provide respect and appreciation regardless of what the client does and says

Evaluation

research support

• ellis 1957, claimed a 90% success rate for REBT, taking n average of 27 sessions to complete the treatment

• A review by cuijpers et al. 2013, of 75 studies found that CBT was superior to no teatment.

• However Ellis recognised that therapy was not always effective and suggested this could be because some clients did not put their revised beliefs into action.

Individual differences

• CBT is less suitable for people who have hight levels of irrational beliefs that are both rigid and resistant to chaing

• Also is less suitable in situations where high stress in the individuals reflect realistic stressors in the persons life that therapy cannot resolve (simons et al 1995)

• Some simply do not want the direct sort of advice that CBT dispenses - they prefer to share they worries with a therapist without getting involved in the cognitive effect associated with recovery

Alternative treatments

other treatments are available

• drug therapies have the strength of requiring less effort on the part of the client

• They can also be used in conjunction with a psychotherapy such as CBT.

• This may be useful because a distressed client may be unable to focus in the demands of CBT and the drug treatment could enable them to cope better.

• The review of cuijpers et al found that CBT was especially effective if it was used in conjunction with drug therapy.