1. Cognitive Treatments 4.1.4 Psychopathology
The cognitive approach to treating depression: cognitive behavioural therapy including challenging irrational thoughts

2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the most commonly used psychological treatment for depression, as well as other mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, panic, phobias, stress, bulimia, OCD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.)
This is a method for treating mental disorders based on both behavioural and cognitive techniques
The therapist aims to make the client aware of the relationship between thought, emotion and actions
CBT can help people to change how they think (‘cognitive') and what they do (‘behaviour'). These changes can help them to feel better.

3. What is CBT? It is a way of talking (psychotherapy) about:
how you think about yourself, the world and other people
how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings.
From the cognitive point of view therapy aims to deal with the thinking, such as challenging negative thoughts
The therapy also includes behavioural techniques such as behavioural activation (encouraging patients to engage in those activities they are avoiding)

4. What is CBT?
CBT can help to break the vicious circle of maladaptive thinking, feelings and behaviour.
It focuses on the 'here and now' problems and difficulties. Instead of focusing on the causes of distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve the state of mind now.
When the parts of the sequence are clearly outlined and understood, they can be changed.
CBT aims to get the person to a point where they can ‘DIY', and work out their own ways of tackling their problems.

5. Each session will last between 30 and 60 minutes.
What does CBT involve?
The Sessions
Meet with a therapist for between 5 and 20, weekly, or fortnightly sessions.
Each session will last between 30 and 60 minutes.
Some CBT therapists work with the techniques influenced by Beck and some work with the techniques influenced by Ellis. Most draw on both
Handout with process
Then worksheet

6. CBT 1 Beck’s Cognitive Therapy
Beck developed a therapy to challenge the negative triad (beliefs) of the client.
First, the client will be assessed to discover the severity of their condition.
The therapist will establish a baseline (or starting point), prior to treatment, to help monitor improvement.

7. Beck’s Cognitive Therapy
The therapist must make the client aware of the relationship between thought and emotion:
 I am stupid 
This makes me feel sad
I feel sad so I am not enjoying myself

8. Thoughts influence emotions and behaviour.
To feel better you must think positively.
The client is asked to provide information about how they perceive themselves, the future and the world.
The therapist would use a process of reality testing e.g. if the client says, ‘I’m useless, and I always fail’, they will be asked whether in reality, they have been successful at something.
The therapist might ask the client to do something to demonstrate their ability to succeed.

9. The client’s beliefs are directly challenged
Clients are made aware of their negative views.
In this way, irrational ideas can be replaced with more optimistic and rational beliefs.
Through this process, irrational ideas can be replaced with more optimistic and balanced beliefs.

10. CBT 2 Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
REBT extends the ABC model to an ABCDE model
D = Dispute (challenge the thoughts)
E = Effect (see a more beneficial effect on thought and behaviour)
Therefore the central technique of REBT is to identify and dispute the patient’s irrational thoughts

11. REBT
Ellis (1962) argues that irrational thoughts are the main cause of all types of emotional distress and behaviour disorders.
REBT is based on the premise that whenever we become upset, it is not the events taking place in our lives that upset us; it is the beliefs that we hold that cause us to become depressed, anxious, enraged, etc.
Ellis believed that irrational beliefs make impossible demands on the individual, leading to anxiety, failure and psychological difficulty
REBT challenges the client to prove these statements, and then replace them with more reasonable realistic statements (empirical disputing/logical disputing).

12. Common irrational thoughts
Ellis identified what he saw as the most common faulty beliefs experienced by people with mental health problems.
I am worthless unless I am competent at everything I try
I must be approved of and loved by everyone I meet
My unhappiness is always caused by external events; I cannot control my emotional response
It is upsetting when things are not the way I would like them to be
Certain people are thoroughly bad and should be severely blamed or punished for it
Because something once affected my life, it will do so indefinitely
There is always a perfect solution to human problems and it is awful if it is not found
I should depend on others who are stronger than I am
It easier to avoid difficulties and responsibilities than to face them
If something unpleasant happens I should keep dwelling on it

13. How effective is CBT? CBT is effective
CBT is effective in reducing symptoms of depression and in preventing relapse and there is a large body of evidence to support this (March et al, 2007)
It is the most effective psychological treatment for moderate depression.
It is as effective as antidepressants for many types of depression (Fava et al, 1994).

14. How effective is CBT? CBT may not work for the most severe cases
In some cases depression may be so severe that patients cannot motivate themselves to engage in the therapy
In these cases, it is possible to treat the patient with antidepressants and then CBT can commence at a later date
This is therefore a limitation as it means that CBT cannot be used as the sole treatment in all cases

15. Success may be due to the therapist-patient relationship
How effective is CBT?
Success may be due to the therapist-patient relationship
Research has shown that there is little difference between CBT and other forms of psychotherapy
It may be the quality of the therapist-patient relationship that makes the difference to the success of the treatment rather than the treatment itself
Simply having the opportunity to talk to someone who will listen could be what matters most

16. How effective is CBT? Some patients may want to explore their past
CBT focuses on the ‘here and now’ however there may be links to childhood experiences and current depression and patients might want to talk about these experiences
They can find this ‘present-focus’ very frustrating
An over-emphasis on cognition
There is a risk that in focusing on what is happening in the mind of the individual may end up minimising the importance of the circumstances the individual is living in
There is thus an ethical issue for cognitive behavioural therapists here, and it is important for therapists to keep in mind that not all problems are in the mind.

17. Strengths
Weaknesses
Clients can become dependant on their therapist, or non-cooperative
CBT is not effective for people with rigid attitudes or resistance to change,
or for people who have high stress levels in response to genuinely difficult life circumstances (depressive realism)
CBT is not a quick fix. A therapist is like a personal trainer that advises and encourages - but cannot 'do' it for the client.
Client is actively involved in their recovery
CBT is not physically invasive
Client learns to help themselves, and can use the skills in new situations.
CBT works (e.g. Mrach, Fava)
Particularly when combined with drug treatment (Keller)

18. CHANGE VIEW: 10 key facts about CBT
Change: your thoughts and actions
View: events from another angle
Homework: practice makes perfect
I can do it: self-help approach
Action : don't just talk, do!
Experience: test out your beliefs
Need: pinpoint the problem
Write it down: to remember progress
Goals: move towards them
Evidence: shows CBT can work

19. "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thought
"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thought. With our thoughts, we make our world."
The Buddha

20. (12 marks – AS/16 marks A level)
Essay
Describe and evaluate cognitive behaviour therapy as a treatment for depression
(12 marks – AS/16 marks A level)

21. Implications for the economy
Scientific processes:
The implications of psychological research for the economy
i.e. how knowledge of psychology is of benefit to employers
Anything to do with treatment of mental disorders and people’s ability to work and contribute as effective members of society would be relevant - such as, finding an effective treatment (for any disorder) would reduce the number of days people have off work sick so improving productivity .

22. Implications for the economy
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have predicted that by 2020, depression will be the biggest single disease burden, costly to individuals, families, communities and the economy as a whole through lowered productivity, absenteeism and unemployment
Therefore, if psychological research shows that people with a disorder such as depression are less likely to suffer a relapse after having cognitive therapy then, even though cognitive therapy might initially be more expensive than drug therapy, in the long-term it might be more economically sound to offer cognitive therapy as people would have less time off work.