The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Social Anxiety and Psychological Hardiness in Depressed Adolescents
Sima Abdi Kazaj, Maedeh Ghanbari, Fataneh Espahbodi, Maryam Nasri, Shiva Ahmadi
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest control group |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorder who referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2024 |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, no follow-up reported |
| Measures | Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, Ahvaz Psychological Hardiness Inventory |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Hardiness plants Cognition Cognitive restructuring Population Cognitive behavioral therapy Social anxiety Cognitive therapy Social cognitive theory Clinical psychology Intervention counseling Cognitive behaviour therapy Psychological intervention Group psychotherapy Descriptive statistics |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduced social anxiety and increased psychological hardiness in adolescents with depression compared to a no-intervention control group. |
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.