01/02/2012 SL Psychology Assia Chelaghma

Cognitive Level of Analysis: Cognitive factors in

depression (153/157)

Cognitive theories suggest that depressed distortions and irrational beliefs produce the

disturbances of mood.

Cognitive Style Theory by Ellis

People draw false conclusions about events, which lead to feelings of anger, anxiety or

depression.

𝐼𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓 → 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 → 𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔

Depression Theory by Beck

Depressed people tend to construct negative cognitive triads, they are:

Overgeneralisation based on negative events

Non-logical interference about the self

Dichotomous thinking which is the black and white thinking

The negative schemas are activated by stressful events. They distort truths in people’s minds

and lead them to depression. Most people who suffer from depression exhibit irrational beliefs

and cognitive biases such as extreme criticism and pessimism.

Perspective Study by Frude:

A perspective study is a study in which participants are chosen on a basis of a variable and

then followed to see what happens long term. There is a possible link between th cognitive

style and the development of depression.

Social level of analysis: Social and cultural factors in depression

Brown and Harris found that 29 out of 32 women who became depressed experienced a

severe life event. Previous stressful events may lead to depression.

Brown suggested a vulnerability model of depression. It is consisted of the factors that may

lead to depression:

Lacking employment away from home

Absence of social support

Having several young children at home

Loss of mother at young age

History of childhood abuse

01/02/2012 SL Psychology Assia Chelaghma

Collectivist countries have lower level of depression compared to individualist countries.

Each culture has its own patterns of depression.

Gender consideration in major depressive disorder:

Women are two to three times more likely to become clinically depressed than women

because women are more emotionally than men.

Research in psychology

The theory of social factors in depression (Brown and Harris)

01/02/2012 SL Psychology Assia Chelaghma