Outline and Evaluate the Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression PDF

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SHORT ESSAY ON EXPLAINING DEPRESSION...

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Outline and Evaluate the Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression Beck proposed the cognitive triad of depression, believing that it is a result of faulty or maladaptive cognitive processes. The emotional and physical symptoms are a result of the thinking. The cognitive triad is made up of a negative view of self, a negative view of the world, and a negative view of the future. Another part of the cognitive approach is Ellis’ ABC model Ellis looked at mustabatory thinking, which is a set of assumptions that shape conscious cognitions, and come from the messages we receive from people. He said that if out mental representations are inadequate then out emotions and behaviour can become disordered. The ABC model looks at the activating event such as failing an exam, belief such as feeling they are not clever and consequence which is depression. The approach has supporting evidence; Beck’s cognitive triad is backed by Grazioli and Terry, who looked at pregnant women, for cognitive vulnerability and depression, before and after birth. They found a positive correlation between an increased vulnerability and the likelihood of acquiring depression. Thus, supporting the link between faulty cognition and depression, which is in line with Beck’s predictions, increasing the validity of the study. The increased understanding of a cognitive cause results in better treatments. Consequently, the approach has good application in cognitive behavioural therapies. It has been used to develop effective treatments like CBT and REBT. CBT has been found to be the best treatment for depression, especially when used with drug treatments. Thus, it has resulted in successful therapies, supporting the accuracy of the explanation. Despite this, it cannot explain all aspects of depression, especially the physical ones. This may result in frustration from patients as their symptoms cannot be explained by the theory, and therefore not addressed in therapy. The biological approach suggests that genes and neurotransmitters may cause depression. This is supported by Zhang’s study in which he found that genes related to serotonin were ten times more common in people with depression. Thus, showing the effectiveness of drug therapies, compared to CBT, suggesting that neurotransmitters play an important role. Furthermore, the approach raises issues, regarding client blaming suggesting they are responsible for having depression. This may mean that the therapist overlooks situational factors that were key contributors, leading to a lack of treatment of the cause of the disorder, focusing on the symptoms only. This results in limited effects in the long term. Furthermore, there are questions surrounding whether faulty thinking causes depression or if it is the result of the disorder itself. The latter may result in the need for personalized treatments, which are not provided through the use of cognitive ideas; the suggestions may lead to a feeling of misunderstanding which results in a reluctance to be treated. Thus, the therapy may not be effective in all cases of depression, leaving the patients without an explanation, or cure....