AO1 The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression: Beck's negative triad and Ellis's ABC model; cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), including challenging irrational thoughts

Ellis’s ABC model

A - activating event: something happens to you

B - beliefs: you beliefs about the event

C - consequence: emotional response to this belief

Idea of Ellis’s ABC model

It is the irrational belief about an activating event, not the event itself, which causes the consequence (depression). People who are not depressive will react to the event differently.

Beck’s cognitive theory

Suggested depression stems from unrealistic, distorted or negative beliefs about oneself, others and the environment which creates a cognitive vulnerability towards depression. Beck identified the cognitive triad which he said were responsible for depressed thinking, these are negative views about oneself, the world and the future.

Main goal of CBT

Challenge negative and irrational thoughts.

Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)

Focuses on challenging or disputing irrational beliefs and replacing them with effective, rational beliefs. It extends the ABC model to ABCDE model where D stands for dispute and E for effect.

Logical disputing

Getting the client to realise that their self-defeating beliefs are not logical.

Empirical disputing

Getting the client to realise that their self-defeating beliefs are not realistic

Pragmatic disputing

Getting the client to realise that their self-defeating belief are not useful.

Effective disputing allows

The patient to move from catastrophising to more rational interpretations of events, which helps them to feel better and eventually become more self-accepting.

CBT based on Beck’s negative triad

The therapist identifies and challenges automatic thoughts about the world, the self and the future. Once identified, these thoughts must be challenged. To test the reality of the beliefs the therapist could ask the client to do homework. This is referred to as the ‘patient as scientist’ investigating the reality of their negative beliefs in the way a scientist would. This can later be used as evidence to challenge a belief.