The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Sense of Coherence, Social Support, and Spiritual Well-being in Students with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition that can arise following exposure to traumatic events. This study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on the sense of coherence, social support, and spiritual well-being among students diagnosed with PTSD. The research employed a semi-experimental, pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included students diagnosed with PTSD at the University of Tehran during the 2023-2024 academic year. A total of 36 students with PTSD were selected using purposive sampling and were divided into experimental (n=18) and control (n=18) groups. The experimental group attended eight 90-minute CBT sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data collection involved administering the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (Keane et al., 1998), the Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1993), the Social Support Questionnaire (Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991), and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (Paloutzian & Ellison, 2012). The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS-24. The results indicated that CBT significantly increased the sense of coherence (F=40.69, p=0.001, η²=0.58), social support (F=60.50, p=0.001, η²=0.67), religious well-being (F=52.16, p=0.001, η²=0.64), and existential well-being (F=54.50, p=0.001, η²=0.65) in students with PTSD. These results support the incorporation of CBT into therapeutic programs for students with PTSD to foster resilience and holistic well-being. Future research could explore the long-term effects of CBT and its impact on other psychological and behavioral outcomes in diverse student populations.