Final answer:
One way to treat depression according to the learned helplessness model is by encouraging optimistic attributions, wherein individuals are helped to see negative life events as controllable and not indicative of personal flaws, which can reduce feelings of helplessness and vulnerability to depression.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the learned helplessness model, one way to treat depression is to Encourage optimistic attributions. The reformulated version of learned helplessness, now known as hopelessness theory, emphasizes that the attributions, or explanations, individuals make about negative life events play a crucial role in the development of depression. If someone habitually makes internal, stable, and global attributions for negative outcomes (e.g., "I'm not smart," "Nothing can change that," and "I fail at everything"), they are more likely to experience feelings of helplessness and, potentially, depression. To counteract this, treatment could focus on encouraging more optimistic attributions, such as those that are external, unstable, and specific, enabling individuals to perceive negative events as more controllable and less indicative of personal flaws. This cognitive approach aims to help individuals reframe their perceptions of control and causality, ultimately reducing their vulnerability to depression.