Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Integrated with Spirituality-Religion Versus Hope Therapy on Persistent Depression Symptoms in Women in the year 2022

Authors
Somayeh Soleymani
Yousef Gorji
Mahmood Sharifi Esfahani
KhomeiniShahr Branch, Islamic Azad University
Abstract
Introduction: The prevalence of depression among women is twice that of men. Depression is the most common illness among psychiatric disorders and imposes significant economic costs on patients and society. Localizing common treatments for patients who have become accustomed to depression and whose condition has developed into persistent depression is crucial. Therefore, in this study, two methods were compared: cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with spirituality-religion and hope therapy, and the effectiveness of each was assessed.

Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental (with a pretest-posttest design with a control group), and the statistical population included all women with symptoms of persistent depression in the city of Isfahan. Using accessible and purposeful sampling, 36 individuals were selected and randomly divided into three groups of 12 (two treatment groups as experimental groups and one group as a control). A pretest was conducted for all groups, followed by the implementation of therapeutic protocols. In the end, a posttest was conducted for all groups, and the stability of interventions was assessed three months later.

Results: The study confirmed the effectiveness of both therapeutic methods (cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with spirituality-religion and hope therapy); however, a comparison of both methods showed that spirituality therapy had greater effectiveness.

Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of both methods in reducing persistent depression in the sample population, the results can be generalized to the entire statistical population.
Keywords
Women's Health
Depression
Dysthymic Disorder
Positive psychology
Spiritual Therapies
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