Cognitive-behavioral interventions effectiveness on prisoner's ‎psychological health

The purpose of current study is to determine the effectiveness of individual and group cognitive-behavioral techniques in decreasing psychological symptoms in Prisoners. A total of 48 prisoners selected randomly and were allocated into three groups with equal size. 16 participants receiving individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy along with teaching cognitive-behavioral techniques and other 16 participants receiving only individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. The last 16 participants were waited (Control group). Using GHQ and SCL-90 tests, as well as a diagnostic interview conducted by a psychiatrist based on DSM-IV-TR criteria before and after interventions, participant's psychological status were measured. Data collated was analyzed using multiple analysis of variance procedure. After applying cognitive-behavioral interventions, scores of prisoners in both experimental groups in indexes of GHQ and SCL-90 decreased (p<0.001). Although both individual and combined therapy approaches were effective, the latter had more impact in diminishing psychological symptoms of prisoners. Follow up studies after 8.5 months indicated the maintenance of treatment effect with no recidivism of the treatment groups.