The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy‐based group counseling on depressive symptomatology, anxiety levels, automatic thoughts, and coping ways Turkish nursing students: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Perspectives in psychiatric care Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 2394 - 2406
• Main Authors: Demir, Satı, Ercan, Feride
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Hindawi Limited 01.10.2022
• Subjects: Anxiety; Behavior modification; cognitive behavioral therapy; Cognitive therapy; Coping; Counseling; depression; group counseling; Mental depression; Mental health; Mental health care; Nursing care; Nursing education; nursing students; Psychiatric-mental health nursing; Questionnaires; Students; cognitive behavioral therapy; depression; nursing students; coping; group counseling
• ISSN: 0031-5990; 1744-6163
• DOI: 10.1111/ppc.13073

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)‐based group counseling focused on depressive symptoms, anxiety levels, automatic thoughts, and coping ways among undergraduate nursing students with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Design and Methods A randomized, nonblinded, controlled trial was conducted. The study was completed with a total of 63 participants (n = 31, intervention group; n = 32, control group). The effect of the intervention was evaluated with Beck depression inventory, Beck anxiety inventory, automatic thoughts questionnaire, and ways of coping questionnaire. The measurements were taken three times: pretest, posttest, and 2‐months posttest. Findings CBT‐based group counseling was found to reduce depressive symptoms, automatic thoughts, and ineffective coping with stress and to increase effective coping with stress. In both groups, 2‐months posttest mean anxiety score was lower than the pre‐test mean score. Practice Implications CBT‐based group counseling reduced depressive symptoms, automatic thoughts, and emotion‐focused/ineffective ways for coping with stress.