The Effect of Teaching Coping Skills with a Religious Approach on Reducing Depression in Female Prisoners in Qom Province

Depression is one of the mental disorders common among female prisoners. The present research aims at investigating the efficacy of teaching coping skills with a religious approach in reducing depression among female prisoners. It has been conducted based on two-group method of research with pre-test and post-test, with the statistical society composed of female prisoners in Qom province. The participants answered Beck’s questionnaire of depression as the testing device, and then were divided into two groups composed of 11 subjects (experimental and control groups). In the intrusive method of research, the subjects in experimental group were taught Islamic coping skills such as trust in God, remembering God, patience, prayer and supplication, confession and repentance, saying prayers and hope for God’s help. After the post-test, we used descriptive indices and covariance test to analyze the data. According to the findings of the research, we may say that teaching coping skills with a religious approach is effective in reducing depression.