Comparing the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness with group therapy of behavioral activation in depression rate and quality of life of depressed people

Cognitive therapy based on mindfulness is a combination of Beck''s cognitive therapy and Kabat Zinn’s mindfulness based stress reduction program and behavioral activation provokes depressed clients searching for positive reinforcement. The aim of the current study is to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and treatment of activating behavior for depression in depression rate and quality of life in depressed students. Therefore، in a quasi-experimental 50 students of Azad University of Malayer who earned the minimum score of 20 on the exam depression test were selected. From this number، 34 people based on a structured clinical interview and in compliance with the principle of equivalency were divided into two groups of experiment randomly، to undergo mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and group therapy of behavioral activation. Both groups underwent therapeutic protocols for 8 sessions. The control group did not undergo any intervention. Both groups were assessed on depression and quality of life both before and after the grouping. Analysis of mixed variances of the data indicated that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and behavioral activation for depression improved the median of depression scores and quality of life of subjects. It seems that west therapeutic techniques are more useful when bonded with the eastern rites.