The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Social Anxiety and Psychological Hardiness in Depressed Adolescents

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduced social anxiety and increased psychological hardiness in depressed adolescents. In a quasi-experimental study, 30 adolescents with depression from Tehran counseling centers were assigned to eight 2-hour sessions of the therapy or a no-intervention control group. After controlling for pretest scores, the therapy group showed significantly lower social anxiety and significantly higher psychological hardiness than controls, with large effect sizes. The authors suggest the intervention is effective for simultaneously addressing social anxiety and building resilience in this population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in reducing social anxiety and enhancing psychological hardiness among adolescents with depression. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorder who referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2024. Using convenience sampling, 30 adolescents who demonstrated high levels of social anxiety and low levels of psychological hardiness were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Participants in the experimental group received eight 2-hour sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, while the control group did not receive any psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and the Ahvaz Psychological Hardiness Inventory. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance in SPSS version 26, with pretest scores entered as covariates. Findings: Inferential analysis indicated a significant group effect after controlling for pretest scores, showing that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduced social anxiety in the experimental group compared with the control group. In addition, a significant increase in psychological hardiness was observed among adolescents who participated in the intervention. The effect sizes associated with group differences were large, indicating a substantial impact of the intervention on both outcome variables. Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is an effective intervention for simultaneously reducing social anxiety and strengthening psychological hardiness in adolescents with depression, highlighting its potential as a comprehensive and resilience-oriented therapeutic approach in adolescent mental health services.