Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression

Beck's Cognitive Theory of Depression:Beck proposed that it is a person's cognitions that make them more vulnerable to depression. He suggested 3 parts to this vulnerability.Faulty Information Processing:When depressed we focus on the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positives. We also tend to blow small problems out of proportion and think in black and white terms.Negative Self-Schema:A schema is a package of ideas and information developed through experience. They act as a mental framework for the interpretation of sensory information. A self-schema is the idea we have of ourselves. We use schemas to interpret the world so if we have a negtive self-schema we interpret all the information we have of ourselves in a negative way.The Negative Triad:A person develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of three types of negative thinking that occur automatically regardless of the reality of what is happening at the time. These three elements are called the negative triad. They include; Negative views of the world - e.g. the world is a cold hard place - creating the impression there is no hope anywhere Negative views of the future - e.g. there isn't much chance the economy will get better - such thoughts reduce any hopefulness and enhance depression Negative views of the self - e.g. I'm a failure - such thoughts enhance any existing depressive feelings because they confirm the emotions of low self-esteem Evaluation: Range of supporting evidence. Grazioli and Terry assessed 65 pregnant women fo cognitive vulnerability and depression before and after birth. They found that those women judged to have been high in cognitive vulnerability were more likely to suffer post-natal depression Beck's theory forms the basisi of CBT. All cognitive aspects of depression can be identified and challenged in CBT. These include components of the negative triad that are easily identifiable. This means a therapist can challenge them and encourage the patient to test whether they are true Beck's theory cannot explain some of the complex symptoms of depression such as anger, hallucinations and Cotard Syndrome where patients believe they are zombies

Ellis's ABC Model:Ellis proposed that conditions like anxiety and depression were a result of irrational thoughts. He defined irrational thoughts as thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free from pain. Ellis used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state.A - Activating Event:According to Ellis we get depressed when we experience negative events and these trigger irrational beliefs e.g. failing a testB - Beliefs:Ellis identified a range of irrational beliefs; Musturbation - the belief we must always succeed/achieve perfection I-can't-stand-it-itis - the belief something is a major disaster when it doesn't go smoothly Utopianism - the belief that life is always meant to be fair C - Consequences:When an activating event triggers irrational beliefs, there are emotional and behavioural consequences. e.g. if you believe you must always succeed and then fail at something, this can trigger depression.Evaluation: There is no doubt that some cases of depression follow activating events. This is called reactive depression which is different from other kinds of depression that arise with no obvious cause. This means Ellis's explanation only applies to some kinds of depression so is a partial explanation It has led to successful therapy. By challenging irrational beliefs a person can reduce their depression. This supports Ellis's theory because it suggests irrational beliefs have some role in depression It doesn't explain the anger associated with depression or that some patients have hallucinations and delusions