Comprehensive study notes on the AQA Psychology topic of cognitive explanations to treating depression. Can easily be turned into flashcards for effective revision. Includes practice questions at the end of the document.
The cognitive approach to treating depression
Cognitive behaviour therapy
- Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used
psychological treatment for depression and a range of other mental health
problems.
- If you see a clinical psychologist for a mental health problem the chances
are you will receive CBT.
- CBT begins with an assessment in which the patient and the cognitive
behaviour therapist work together to clarify the patient's problems.
→ They jointly identify goals for the therapy and put together a plan to
achieve them.
→ One of the central tasks is to identify where there might be negative
or irrational thoughts that will benefit from challenge.
→ CBT then involves working to change negative and irrational
thoughts and finally put more effective behaviours into place.
→ Some CBT therapists do this using techniques purely from Beck's
cognitive therapy, or some rely exclusively on Ellis's rational
emotive behaviour therapy.
→ Most draw on both.
CBT: Beck's cognitive therapy
- Cognitive therapy is the application of Beck's cognitive theory of
depression.
- The idea behind cognitive therapy is to identify automatic thoughts about
the world, the self and the future - this is the negative triad.
- Once identified these thoughts must be challenged.
→ This is the central component of the therapy.
- As well as challenging these thoughts directly, cognitive therapy aims to
help patients test the reality of their negative beliefs.
→ They might therefore be set homework such as to record when they
enjoyed an event or when people were nice to them.
→ This is sometimes referred to as the 'patient as scientist',
investigating the reality of their negative beliefs in the way a
scientist would.
- In future sessions if patients say that no one is nice to them or there is no
point in going to events, the therapist can then produce this evidence and
use it to prove the patient's statements are incorrect.
CBT: Ellis's rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
- REBT extends the ABC model to an ABCDE model.
→ D stands for dispute and E for effect.
- The central technique of REBT is to identity and dispute (challenge)
irrational thoughts. For example. a patient might talk about how unlucky
they have been or how unfair things seem.
- An REST therapist would identify these as examples of utopianism and
challenge this as an irrational belief.
→ This would involve a vigorous argument.
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