Effectiveness of unity-oriented psychology approach on depression and suicidal tendencies in male students

The current study examines the effectiveness of unity-oriented intervention on depression and suicidal tendencies of Shahid Beheshti University students. Research method was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, and control group and a three month follow up. The statistical population included all male Students between the ages of 19 to 24, attending Shahid Beheshti University in 2018.Statistical population of this research include 895 male Students, Living at university dormitories. Through screening, 20 Students were selected and randomly assigned to experiment and control group. The subjects were evaluated before and after interventions through Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck, Kovacs & Weissman, 1979) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995).The unity-oriented intervention was administered in 10 sessions, each of them took 1.5 hours in the experiment group and there was no intervention in control group. The data were analyzed through Mann-Whitney U test. Findings show that unity-oriented intervention has a significant effect on depression (U= 15, P= 0.02), and suicidal ideation (U= 14.5, P= 0.019) and this effect remained unchanged in the three month follow-up phase. Through integrationof life experiences and acceptance of life's realities, unity-oriented psychology approach promote a sense of belonging and meaningfulness. And decreases depression symptoms and suicidal tendencies. Therefore it can be used as an effective intervention method to alleviate psychological problems, especially suicidality and depression, and also promote student’s well-being.