Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Depression

Cognitive theories of depression hypothesize that particular negative ways of thinking increase individuals' likelihood of developing and maintaining depression when they experience stressful life events. According to these theories, individuals who possess specific maladaptive cognitive patterns are vulnerable to depression because they tend to engage in negative information processing about themselves and their experiences. Beck (1,2) hypothesized that depression-prone individuals possess negative selfschemata (beliefs), which he labeled the "cognitive triad." Specifically, depressed patients have a negative view of themselves (seeing themselves as worthless, inadequate, unlovable, deficient), their environment (seeing it as overwhelming, filled with obstacles and failure), and their future (seeing it as hopeless, no effort will change the course of their lives). This negative way of thinking guides one's perception, interpretation, and memory of personally relevant experiences, thereby resulting in a negatively biased construal of one's personal world, and ultimately, the development of depressive symptoms. For example, the depression-prone individuals are more likely to notice and remember situations in which they have failed or did not live up to some personal standard and discount or ignore successful situations. As a result, they maintain their negative sense of self, leading to depression.