Depression involves conditions that are associated with mood elevation or lowering. The disorder is common among individuals who have undergone a stressful event. Low self-esteem and overly self-critical can lead to depression. Aaron Beck is one of the psychologists who propounded that individuals who are susceptible to depression may develop unhealthy core beliefs about themselves and others. The beliefs dominate the patients’ lives and are activated by happenings that carry specific importance to them. Therefore, according to Aaron Beck, the causes and development of depression can be explained through the concepts of schema and negative cognitive triad.
Human beings use a specific framework to organize and interpret the vast information available in their environment. According to Aaron Beck schema is a cognitive framework that individuals utilize to interpret information from their social environment (Şimşek et al., 2021). For instance, traumatic events may trigger an individual to develop a set of negative beliefs about themselves. Therefore, Aaron Beck believed that depressed people are prone to negative self-schema (Şimşek et al., 2021). An example of a negative self-schema is abandonment which makes people constantly afraid of relationships. Negative self-schema leads to depression since it makes people pessimistic about themselves.
Additionally, Aaron Beck and other theorists used the concept of the negative cognitive triad to explain the development of depressive conditions. The theorists opined that people with depressive symptoms have negative and hopeless thoughts about themselves and their environments (Beck et al., 2021). The negative cognitive triad is a three-dimensional concept that involves uncontrollable negative thoughts that are automatic and spontaneous, focusing on the self, world, and future (Beck et al., 2021). An example of a negative cognitive triad that involves self is “I am an ugly student.” Meanwhile, a negative cognitive triad reflects on the world can be statements such as “Everyone hates me.” For the future, a negative cognitive triad may include a statement such as “I am useless since things will never change.” Therefore, schemas and negative cognitive triads play a significant role in clinical depression development.
References
Beck, A. T., Finkel, M. R., & Beck, J. S. (2020). The Theory of Modes: Applications to Schizophrenia and Other Psychological Conditions. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 45, pp. 391-400.
Şimşek, O. M., Koçak, O., & Younis, M. Z. (2021). The impact of interpersonal cognitive distortions on satisfaction with life and the mediating role of loneliness. Sustainability, 13(16), pp. 9293.