This research article “Do Negative Cognitive Styles Confer Vulnerability to Depression?” tries to bring on surface the possible causes of depression in daily life and also suggests some possible measures that could be taken to minimize the level of depression. “According to the cognitive-vulnerability hypothesis of depression, negative cognitive styles confer vulnerability to depression when people confront negative life events (p.128).” In this article the authors have successfully proven how negative cognitive styles have confer vulnerability to clinically significant depressive disorders and have helped to increase suicide rate. Biologists suggest that some people feel depressed because of their abnormal biochemical processes going on in their entire system. On the other hand, the cognitive psychologists suggest that the way people interpret their life events could possibly result in their vulnerability to depression.
Cognitive theories of depression suggest that different individuals responses to stressful life events in different way. They further stated that individuals with negative cognitive styles are more likely to develop hopelessness depression. Similarly, individuals with dysfunctional attitudes are more likely to develop reactive depression when they encounter negative events in life that impact on their cognitive vulnerability.
Several studies have shown that negative cognitive styles have increased people’s vulnerability to depression. One such study is the Temple-Wisconsin Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression (CVD) project in which initially nondepressed college freshmen with no other mental disorders were identified as being at high risk (HR) or low risk (LR) based on the presence or absence of negative cognitive styles (p.129). These freshmen were given followed-up assessments, which include self-report and structured interview of stressful life events, cognition, and psychopathology, for every 6 weeks for 2.5 years and then every 4 months for an additional 3 years. They found that the HR freshmen were more vulnerable to develop a first onset of major depressive disorders than the LR freshmen. Also, the recurrence of depression is more common in HR freshmen than in LR freshmen among those participants with past history of depression. In this way the negative cognitive styles is responsible for both recurrence and first onset of clinically significant depression.
The CVD project also shows that HR freshmen were more likely to develop suicidality than LR freshmen during the follow-up period. They also found out that hopelessness has strongly mediated the association between cognitive vulnerability and the development of suicidality. Only the hopeless participants developed suicidality during the follow-up period.
The case would be approached with the notion that a persons' way of thinking affects their feelings and actions regarding any particular situation. Approaching the case from this perspective forms the basis for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The CBT approach allows the individual to develop a positive response to life challenges even though the situation may tend to remain similar. CBT focuses on learning, unlike other psychotherapeutic approaches which rely in abundance on analyzing and exploring individual's relationship with their immediate environment. The therapist’s role in CBT is to guide the patient through a learning process on how to develop and implement new methods of thinking and behaving throughout
Depression shifts ones focus off the necessity to belong in life onto the thinking one never can.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a method of correcting invalid thought patterns to a more positive view of the person and their place in their world. Some people do not believe that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a real treatment for depression, claiming it is a form of positive thinking ("The Daily Mail," 2009). On the opposite end of the spectrum, others argue that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy should be used in all therapies for depression as it allows the patient to take an active role in their treatment. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the benefit of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a viable treatment of depression, either as a stand-alone therapy or in conjunction with other therapies.
Mary is a 24 year old woman who has faced a series of traumatic events throughout her life. Mary's depression can be represented by the cognitive theory (Liese et al., 1997). The process in this theory can be shown through Beck's cognitive model (Liese et al., 1997). According to the model, Mary experiences depression because she holds incorrect negative views about herself, other people and the future and these beliefs take precedent over her actions, thoughts and emotions (Liese et al., 1997).
This paper will focus on depressive disorders, and it will describe what they are, how they manifest themselves, what causes them and/or what makes certain individuals susceptible to the disorder as compared to others. This piece will also describe the most common treatment practices, and the effectiveness of these treatments. It will conclude by offering some testimonials from individuals who suffer from depressive disorders as well as some additional commentary about depressive disorders and their implications/challenges.
Williamson, J. S. (2008). Depression. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 88(1), 18-18, 24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/235187495?accountid=27965
There have been many instances of suicide that have occurred in the past years at universities across the country, and since it is such a sensitive subject, there have not been nearly enough coverage as this topic deserves, considering this issue does not seem to be going away. When collecting data about suicide statistics, the age range is broken down as people ages 15-24, which spans most developmental years. Within this bracket are college-age students and this age-group has by far the most troubling statistics around it.
Joiner, Thomas E. et al. “Main Predictions of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior: Empirical Tests in Two Samples of Young Adults.” Journal of abnormal psychology 118.3 (2009): 634–646.
Beck’s theory of depression focuses on negative thoughts being the cause of depression. Beck believed that negative thoughts generated by dysfunctional beliefs were usually the primary cause of depressive symptoms. His theory of depression showed how early experiences could lead to the formation of dysfunctional beliefs, which could later on turn into negative thoughts. He focused on the fact that these negative automatic thoughts were what lead an individual to become depressed. His main argument was that depression started with a negative view of oneself, instead of having a negative view of oneself due to depression. He believed there was a direct relationship between the amount and severity of someone’s negative thoughts and the severity of their depression symptoms, so basically the more negative thoughts a person had the more depressed they would become. Seligman’s theory of learned helplessness looked at the depression from a different point of view. Seligman believed that depression was caused by a series of setbacks, such as a death in the family that led a person to feel a ...
Depression is defined as "a state of despondency marked by feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness" (Coon, 2001). Some people can mix up depression with just having the blues because of a couple of bad days or even weeks. It is already said that depression affects about one sixth of the population or more (Doris, Ebmeier, Shajahan, 1999). Depression can happen in any age range from birth to death. The cause of depression is still obscure and becoming clear that a number of diverse factors are likely to be implicated, both genetic and environmental. Some causes are leading stressful lives, genetic factors, a previous depressive episode, and the personality trait neuroticism (Doris, et al., 1999).
O'Grady, M. (2010). Depression History, Depression Vulnerability, and the Experience of Everyday Negative Events. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology, 29(9), 949-974.
As Descartes argued, the mind and the body are the base of our existence, and many different cultures view different illnesses positively or negatively. Certain cultures, like the Hmong, believe that epilepsy is a good spiritual thing, but others, such as Western culture, believe that it is medically bad because it could cause death. Many illnesses can be viewed both negatively and positively, some more than others. However, one such illness that is mostly viewed negatively is depression. It is viewed negatively in a symptomatic sense – the symptoms are useless – and in a diagnostic sense – those diagnosed with depression are not actually depressed and the illness itself does not exist; it is simply an excuse to be lazy. There are many different approaches to depression and most of them consider that this illness is negative; however, depression is actually an evolutionary tactic subconsciously employed by humans that can have very positive effects.
Beck, A. (1978). Cognitive therapy of depression (The Guildford Clinical Psychology and psychopathology series). New York, N.Y : Guildford Press.
Oswalt, Robert . 1995. "College Depression: causes, duration, and coping." Psychological Reports 77 (3): 858.
College students face strenuous workloads daily, causing them to feel more pressure about their schoolwork and academics and resulting in anxiousness. About 50% of college students today are suffering from depression, a larger number than most believe, but not all reveal that they have a depressive issue (Deroma, Leach, Leverett 325). Researchers suggest that academic stress plays a big role in a college student’s depression. Most people know that college is a lot harder than high school ...