The Effect of Positive Mindfulness Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Affective Capital of Female Students with Depression

Affective capital is one of the positive variables that can be effective in improving the conditions of female students with depression. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of positive mindfulness therapy; mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on affective capital in female students with depression.

The research method was semi-experimental, and research design was four groups with two stages (pre-test and post-test design). In order to carry out the research, from first secondary school female students with depression in Naein city in 2017, 60 female students were selected and then randomly assigned in three therapeutic groups (each group with 15 person) and a control group (with 15 person). Affective capital questionnaire (ACQ-Golparvar, 2016) was used to measure the dependent variable in the pretest and post-test. The group of positive mindfulness therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy received 12 sessions of treatment. The data were analyzed with the use of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

The results showed that there is a significant difference between positive mindfulness therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy with control group in affective capital (F=340.40, P <0.001) and their components (positive affect (F=292.90, P <0.001), feeling of energy (F=210.91, P <0.001), and happiness (F=186.59, P <0.001)) in post-test after controlling for pretest (p<0.001). Also there is not a significant difference between positive mindfulness therapy and mindfulness based cognitive therapy in affective capital and their components, but there is a significant difference between positive mindfulness therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy in total affective capital, positive affect and feeling of energy.

According to the results of this research, positive mindfulness therapy, and then mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy could be used to enhance the affective capital of female students with depression in educational and therapeutic settings.