Comparison the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological well-being and depression in adolescents with depression

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and cognitive behavior therapy on well-being and depression and in adolescents with depression symptoms

This was a quasi-experiment with pretest /posttest method and control group. Study sample included all the adolescents with depression who referred to counseling centers and psychiatric services in sari, Iran, in the year 2017. 51 patients were selected using random sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. The positive psychotherapy experimental group was under treatment within 10 sessions, and the cognitive behavior experimental therapy was under treatment within 8 sessions, each session of 90 minutes weekly, while the control group received no treatment. The data collecting instruments used in this study were children´s depression inventory (CDI) and Riff´s psychological well-being questionnaire (RSPWB).

Data analysis by using multivariate covariance method showed that both positive psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy had significant effects on increasing well-being but the efficiency of positive psychotherapy in increasing well-being was more significant compared to cognitive behavioral therapy. Also, in the analysis the two methods of psychotherapies on depression, there has been a significant difference between the control and the experiment groups. While the two therapetical approaches were equally effective in reducing depression.

Due to emphasis on the different psychological aspects and some common treating features, the two therapetical models of positive psychotherapy and cognitive behavior therapy were equally effective in reducing depression. But positive psychotherapy is more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy in increasing psychological well-being. So,  as one of the clinical interventions, positive psychotherapy can be used by experts and school counselors.