Ferster’s Behavioral Model To Explain Depression

Depression is one of the most disabling psychological disorders that exist, and although it sounds paradoxical, one of the most invisible. Not only does it consist of a sad or low mood, but its symptoms can range from a lack of pleasure from any activity or situation to the most extreme motor inhibition. Some patients even report symptoms of a physiological nature, such as anergy, lack of appetite, somatic symptoms or insomnia.

In the scientific literature on the subject, we can find different hypotheses. From the purely biological ones, referring to the biochemical imbalance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, to hypotheses of an environmental or psychological nature.

The explanatory theories based on the most biological part account for a reduced part of all the symptoms and types of depression that exist. Furthermore, it barely leaves the door open for patient control in their own healing.

Although it is true that thanks to these theories today we can have antidepressants, explanations are necessary to help patients take responsibility for their disease and find a way to help themselves.

In this sense, the behavioral model of Ferster (1965, 1973) can help us to understand how behaviors poorly reinforced by the environment, in addition to the avoidance or inhibition that is reflected in the patient, can lead us to suffer a depressive state.

The Ferster Behavioral Model for Depression

Charles Ferster was one of the first psychologists to study the depressive phenomenon within a clinical / experimental setting ; In addition, other behavioral approaches stem from their work.

His idea is that there is an excess of avoidance or escape behaviors in the face of aversive stimuli. For Ferster’s behavioral model, there are also four processes that, isolated or in interaction, could explain depressive pathology.

The processes are as follows:

• Unexpected, sudden and rapid changes in the environment that imply loss of sources of reinforcement or of discriminative stimuli important to the individual.
• An example of this postulate could be the loss of a partner. This in itself is a source of reinforcement and, in addition, many other reinforcements in our life are connected to that couple (mutual friends, leisure, children …). The person, due to a single discriminatory stimulus, namely, the loss of a partner, stops doing other activities that were previously pleasant because they were done in company. Therefore, the enhancers are further reduced, with a consequent lack of enjoyment.

• High-cost reinforcement programs that require major changes in behavior to produce consequences in the environment. If an opponent, who has to spend large amounts of time and effort studying to achieve his goal, finds himself failing, it is easy for a state of apathy or unwillingness to develop to go back to studying. The energy it has to mobilize is great and the result uncertain.
• Absence of behavioral repertoires, blocked by pathological spirals in which a low rate of positive reinforcements causes a reduction in behaviors, which in turn leads the person to a poor adaptation to the environment and, therefore, to a lower number of reinforcement. If my first contacts to try to find a partner are not very positive, I can develop an avoidance behavior when the possibility of meeting people appears, which leads me to fewer chances that the contacts are positive. This reduction in opportunities, in turn, generates more lack of reinforcement, leaving the loop closed.

• Limited repertoires of observation that would lead people with depression to distort reality and behaviors that are rarely reinforced. If, for example, a person moves abroad, they need to observe the new environment and learn to adapt to it. Otherwise, it is more difficult for you to get the boosters that somehow “immunize” you against depression.

Treatment of depression from the behavioral model

From Ferster’s behavioral model, many of the depressive behaviors “encouraged” the individual to avoid aversive stimuli or unpleasant situations in which a further reduction of positive reinforcement could be expected. In this way, such behaviors are maintained by negative reinforcement (the person feels short-term relief when avoiding something that could be unpleasant (anticipation)).

From this perspective, the treatment of depression – obviously, when it is not an endogenous depression – would be aimed at increasing the positive reinforcements that the person can obtain from their environment and reducing avoidance behaviors over potentially reinforcing behaviors.

Something that seems so simple and inviting, like meeting friends for a drink, can be a steep incline for the person with depression. For this reason, the psychologist must establish an intelligent recovery plan for reinforcers adapted to the person. The important thing is for the fall – not to continue losing reinforcers – and to prioritize small advances.

Behavioral activation is done as slowly as the patient wants and needs. We should not set unrealistic goals that are not going to be met because what we can get is even more hopelessness and self-criticism. Any step forward will be a great achievement.

As the intervention progresses and the person gains more reinforcers and accepts their negative emotions, their mood will increase and, as a consequence, so will their motivation.

Anhedonia, anergy, and apathy will subside and the patient will begin to feel better. This activation also has repercussions at the cognitive and social level. Their pessimistic anticipations change for more realistic ones and, in turn, their environment, which perceives the change, will also be more predisposed to be inclusive and to accompany positive inertia.