Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Body Image Concern in Women with Depression Symptoms

Untreated depression can lead to impaired academic performance, increased severity of depression, migraines, alcohol and substance abuse, high stress, low social support, feelings of inferiority in school, feelings of emptiness and worthlessness, somatic symptoms, conflicts with parents, and risk of suicide, imposing a substantial economic burden on governments. Therefore, finding effective treatment methods for this disorder is increasingly necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on body image concern in women with depression symptoms in 2023.

Methods and Materials:

 This research is applied in terms of its objective, applied in terms of data collection, and quantitative (questionnaire-based) in terms of data collection method, relying on an experimental approach using analysis of variance.

Statistical findings indicate that CBT significantly increased the mean scores of the experimental group compared to the control group in the post-test stage, at least in one of the dependent variables (depression and body image concern). There is a significant difference between the two research groups in the linear combination of depression and body image concern variables in the post-test stage. Additionally, statistical findings indicate a significant difference in the depression variable between women with depression symptoms in the experimental group and the control group. Moreover, findings showed a significant difference in the body image concern variable between women with depression symptoms in the experimental group and the control group.

Apart from the aforementioned findings, the most important result of this study was that the impact of CBT on depression and body image concern was found to be 53% and 47%, respectively, indicating a positive and substantial effect.