The impact of behavioral activation group therapy on the reduction of depressive symptoms and cognitive-behavioral avoidance among the students from the martyr and dedicated families

One of the common mental problems and disorders among the university students from the Martyr and Dedicated families is depression and its symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of behavioral activation group therapy on the reduction of depressive symptoms and cognitivebehavioral avoidance among the students from the Martyr and Dedicated families.
Using the pretest-posttest, control-group design, a group of 30 subjects was selected through the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned into two groups: behavioral activation therapy group and control group. The statistical population included all the students from the Martyr and Dedicated families studying at Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University. The data collection instruments were the Depression Inventory and the Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale (CBAD). The obtained data were analyzed using the multivariate analysis of covariance.
The results revealed that behavioral activation therapy was effective in reducing the symptoms of depression (P The results suggest that behavioral activation therapy is an effective way to reduce depressive symptoms and cognitive-behavioral avoidance. Given the impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy on depression symptoms and cognitivebehavioral avoidance, cognitive-behavioral group therapy could be a treatment option for the clients seeking effective, short-term treatment in university counseling centers.