Social cognitive model is based on cognitive theory, which is considered an information processing model (Phillips et al., 2003). The term cognitive refers to the way a person interprets and gives meaning to his or her personal experiences (Phillips et al., 2003). Human beings are incessantly struggling to make sense of their outward and inner experiences for the purpose of connection and existence on earth. Therefore, the manner in which people scan their environment and select stimuli to assign meaning to varies from one individual to another by past beliefs and learning. Over the progression of human being’s development, people obtain dogmas about themselves, others, the future, and the adjoining environment. These beliefs can be denoted as core beliefs since they have rigor and rationality over time. The core beliefs can be categorized as maladaptive or adaptive depending on an individual’s long-term experience with significant situations as well as people. Therefore, individuals who grow up in adverse environments will most likely develop maladaptive beliefs (Phillips et al., 2003). Usually, such core beliefs lead to suicidal thinking among teenagers who grow up in the negative environment since maladaptive core beliefs are associated with feelings of helplessness, and worthlessness (Phillips et al., 2003).
The cognitive theory postulates that people's sentiments, actions, and physiological reactions are a product of the current moment discerning. The inadvertent and impulsive interpretations of an individual’s thinking related to particular present events are known as automatic thoughts (Lehmann et al., 2016). When these automatic thoughts are misinterpreted, they become dysfunctional automatic thoughts. Also, the cognitive model teaches that people’s emotions, conducts, and functional responses affect their rational and personal beliefs. Numerous studies have revealed that depressed people have an exertion accessing any affirmative recollections of previous experiences and successes. This is because such persons tend to detach and withdraw and so they miss the chances of attaining essential information that can deliver a balanced perception of themselves. This explains the reason for the increasing teenage suicides in the United States. Cognitive therapy can be, therefore, used to reduce the negative emotional and self-injurious emotional reactions by modifying dysfunctional automatic thoughts (Vakkalanka et al., 2015).
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The field of psychology developed the social cognitive theory. This model has been applied to several fields other than nursing, for instance in mass communication and education. In mass communication, the social cognitive model is applied as a hypothetical framework of studies on media depiction about gender, race, and age. The concept, as implemented in media content studies, proposes that profoundly recurrent images in mass media can be potentially programmed and processed by the viewers. Even though media content studies cannot be able to assess the cognitive process directly, findings can provide a way to interpret potential media effects from demonstrating specific contents, which offer guidelines and evidence for designing the consequent pragmatic work. The application of cognitive theory in nursing and public health, in general, has been successful, especially in research related to safe sex behaviors, HIV prevention, and quitting tobacco smoking. For instance, a study conducted in 2005 by Miller employed cognitive theory to examine the relationship between the exposure to television’s explicit content and teenagers’ sexual behavior.
To sum up, cognitive therapy has managed to reveal the correlation between dysfunctional automatic thoughts and teenage suicide. Therefore, it is important that such signs of depression and lack of self-esteem in teenagers should be identified early and treated to avoid the increasing cases of suicides in the United States (McLoughlin et al., 2015). Depression and feeling of hopelessness in teenagers can be severe as it increases the risk of portending depression and suicide into adulthood. Therefore, schools are better placed to identify depression among adolescents earlier, and they should treat such cases with the seriousness it deserves to prevent the loss of young lives.
References
Lehmann, M., Hilimire, M. R., Yang, L. H., Link, B. G., & DeVylder, J. E. (January 01, 2016). Investigating the Relationship between Self-Esteem and Stigma among Young Adults with History of Suicide Attempts. Crisis, 37, 4, 265-270.
McLoughlin, A. B., Gould, M. S., & Malone, K. M. (January 01, 2015). Global trends in teenage suicide: 2003-2014. Qjm: Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians, 108, 10, 765-80.
Phillips, J. H., Corcoran, J., & Grossman, C. (July 01, 2003). Implementing a Cognitive-Behavioral Curriculum for Adolescents with Depression in the School Setting. Children & Schools, 25, 3, 147-58.
Vakkalanka, J. P., King, J. D., & Holstege, C. P. (September 11, 2015). Abuse, misuse, and suicidal substance use by children on school property. Clinical Toxicology, 53, 9, 901-907.
