Beck's cognitive triad describes the three domains of negative thinking characteristic of depression: negative view of oneself ("I am a failure"), of the world ("everything is against me"), and of the future ("nothing will improve"). These three patterns feed back on each other and distort information processing, perpetuating the depressive episode.
Concept origin
Beck formulated the model in the 1960s and published it in "Depression: Clinical, Experimental and Theoretical Aspects" (1967). The cognitive model transformed understanding and treatment of depression, giving rise to CBT and decades of research on cognitive distortions.
Therapeutic approach
CBT addresses the triad by identifying specific cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, selective abstraction) and applying cognitive restructuring: examining evidence, considering alternatives, and generating more balanced interpretations for each of the three domains.
Related concepts
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