The Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression

Disturbance in Thinking

• Cognitive approach model suggest depression results from faulty cognitions/information processing/negative thinking about events.

Schema

• Cognitive psychologists say we have mental frameworks for objects that act as short cuts in understanding the world, this includes schemas about ourselves. Depression can result from our self-schemas being negative.

Beck's Negative Triad

• Events are seen with a pessimistic/negative bias due to the development of negative schemas about the world, the self and the future. This can lead to overgeneralisation (a problem in one situation being a problem in others), magnification of problems (seeing them as mor eimportant than they are, selective perception (focusing on the negative) and absolutist thinking (all or nothing).

Triangle: Negative views about the world --> Negative views about future --> Negative views about the oneself.

Ellis ABC Model

• People respond in different ways to stresses and challenges in life, Ellis suggests this depends on their beliefs.
• A- Activating event: This is the external situation, that there is a reaction to.
• B- Belief: This is why the individual thinks A…