Comparing the effectiveness of individual counseling based on compassion therapy with family therapy counseling based on bowen's emotional system on social adjustment of depressed adolescent girls

Social adjustment includes individual's adaptation to their social environment, which may be achieved by changing themselves or the environment. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of individual counseling based on compassion therapy with family therapy counseling according to Bowen's emotional system on social adjustment of depressed adolescent girls.

In a quasi-experimental (pre-test/post-test and follow-up) study with a control group, 30 female volunteers of 14-17 years old who were studying in public schools in Tehran city were randomly divided into three groups (two experimental and one control). Bell Adjustment Inventory (1961) was completed in four stages (pre test, post-test, two-month follow-up, and six-month follow-up). After collection, data was analyzed using a multivariate covariance analysis.

The results showed that both individual counseling based on compassion therapy and family therapy based on Bowen's emotional system were effective in reducing the non-adjustment of adolescent girls (p<0.001). The results also indicated that non-adjustment and its components significantly decreased in the family therapy group in comparison with the individual counseling group (p<0.001).

According to the results of this study, individual counseling based on compassion therapy was more effective on girls' social adjustment than family therapy based on Bowen's emotional system.