The cognitive approach to treating depression - Evaluation
- Created by: Rosiem2102
- Created on: 21-03-18 13:23
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- Evaluation
- It is effective
- Large body of evidence to support the effectiveness of CBT
- March et al. (2007) compared the effects of CBT with antidepressant drugs and a combination of the two in 327 adolescents with a main diagnosis of depression
- After 36 weeks 81% of the CBT group, 81% of the antidepressant group and 86% of the CBT plus antidepressant group were significantly improved
- CBT emerged as just as effective as medication and helpful alongside medication
- Suggests there is a good case for making CBT the first choice of treatment in public health care systems life the NHS
- CBT may not work for the most serious cases
- Depression can be so severe that patients cannot motivate themselves to engage with the hard cognitive work of CBT
- May not be able to pay attention to what is happening
- Possible to treat patients with antidepressant medication and commence CBT when they are more alert and motivated
- A limitation of CBT because it means CBT cannot be used as the sole treatment for all cases of depression
- Success may be due to the therapist-patient relationship
- Rosenzweig (1936) suggested that the differences between different methods of psychotherapy (such as between CBT and SD) might actually be quite small
- All psychotherapies share of essential ingredient - the therapist-patient relationship
- May be the quality of this relationship that determines success rather than any particular technique used
- Many comparative reviews (E.g: Luborsky et al. 2002) find very small differences which support the view that simply having an opportunity to talk to someone who listens could be what matters most
- It is effective
- Evaluation extra
- Some patients want to explore their past
- Focus of CBT is on present and future and not the past
- Some patients are aware of link between childhood experiences and depression and want to talk about it
- They can find this 'present focus' frustrating
- Overemphasis on cognition
- Risk that CBT may end up minimising the importance of the circumstance in which a patient is living (McCaster 2014)
- A patient living in poverty or suffering abuse needs to change their circumstances and therapy that emphasises what is happening in their mind can prevent this
- CBT techniques used inappropriately can demotivate people to change their situation
- Some patients want to explore their past
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