Comparison of the Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Treatment and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on the Anxiety and Depression of Depressed Women

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders that leads to considerable disability in various areas of personal, professional, and social life. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of transdiagnostic treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression in depressed women in Isfahan.

Methods and Materials: 

The present study was a semi-experimental design of the pre-test-post-test type with a control group and follow-up period. The research community in this study consisted of all depressed women in Isfahan city. In this study, 45 women referred to specialized clinics in Isfahan city in 1400 were purposefully selected and examined in three groups (2 experimental groups and one control group). Patient information was collected through three demographic information tools: Beck's Anxiety Questionnaire and Beck's Depression Questionnaire. Treatment protocols included cognitive behavioral therapy (Hazelt-Stevens) and transdiagnostic treatment.

The present study explained that the average scores of depression and anxiety in the transdiagnostic treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy groups had a significant decrease compared to the control group (P = 0.001). On the other hand, there were significant differences in the scores of depression and anxiety in the two treatment groups and control group in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up stages (P>0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference between the transdiagnostic treatment group and the cognitive-behavioral treatment group in reducing the average scores of depression and anxiety.

According to the findings, transdiagnostic and cognitive-behavioral treatments can be used as a complement to medication and interpersonal treatments for patients suffering from depression, reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. This process needs more research.