The Effectiveness of Cognitive Group Therapy on Decreasing Depression among High School Students

Introduction: Depending on its etiology, many methods have been established for the treatment of depression among adolescents; cognitive therapy is one of them. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the effect of cognitive group therapy on decreasing depression among high school students. Methods: From the male students of a boarding high school in Tarom district of Gazvin province, a sample of 16 students were randomly selected and assigned into experimental and control groups. The measurement tool was Beck depression inventory. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of cognitive therapy, while the control group did not receive any treatment. The mean scores of the two groups were compared through independent t-test. Results: The results of the study showed significant differences between the mean scores of the pre-tests and post-tests of the experimental and control groups, so that cognitive group therapy had reduced the depression mean score in the experimental group (-2.1 vs. -0.25). Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that cognitive group therapy can reduce the depression among students. These findings can be used for therapeutic planning within the cognitive paradigm to reduce or prevent depression among students.