The effectiveness of short-term group interpersonal psychotherapy to symptoms of depression, emotional expressiveness, social skills and quality of life in depressed university students

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. in clinical psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate professor of psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 B.A. in clinical psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Depressive disorder is considered one of the most common psychological disorders among students, which can affect various aspects of a person's life. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of short-term group interpersonal psychotherapy on depression, emotional expressiveness, social skills and quality of life of   students.
Materials and Methods: This clinical trial conducted from October 2014 to March 2015. The statistical population of consisted of students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The participants (n=24) were selected through convenience sampling from the students who referred to Ferdowsi University clinic with complaints of depression then divided into control and experimental groups randomly. In this study, 8 weekly sessions (90 minutes) of short-term group interpersonal psychotherapy were administered in the experimental group. The research instruments were quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), emotional expressiveness questionnaire (EEQ), social skills inventory (SSI), Beck Depression Inventory-2 and demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS version 19.
 Results: The scores of Beck Depression Inventory-2 significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group (P=0.004). Also, scores for all indicators of emotional expressiveness (P=0.031),   subscales of emotional expression,   social expression,   emotional sensitivity, emotional control and social control of the social skill questionnaire (P=0.047), and areas of psychological and social relationships, and quality of life significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group (P=0.023).
Conclusion: It seems that short-term group interpersonal psychotherapy can be considered as an effective therapeutic approach in reducing symptoms of depression and improving quality of life, emotional expressiveness and social skills in depressed individuals.

Keywords

Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 17, Issue 6 - Serial Number 6
November and December 2015
Pages 318-324

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