Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating Depression in Young Adults: A Quasi- Experimental Study

Introduction: Integrating Islamic principles along with the traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to help reduce the symptoms of depression in young adults. Islamic integrated cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IICBT) helps boosting spiritual feelings of the patients which have the potential to reduce depressive symptoms. Aims & Objectives: Aims to study the effectiveness of Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IICBT) in the reduction of depressive symptoms among young adults. Place and Duration of Study: The study was completed over six months period from March 2023 to September 2023, in the Outpatient Department of Clinical Psychology, Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College. Material & Method: Quasi-experimental study design was implemented on 24 young Muslims. Participants were divided into control groups (n=12) and experimental (n=12). Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess the level of depression and Religious Orientation Scale was used as an inclusive criterion to observe the religious orientation of the participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Significant differences were observed between the control and experimental groups. Mean scores of BDI were significantly low in post-test i.e. 15.7 compared to pre-test i.e. 31.3 (p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes, as their pre-test mean of 32.9 only decreased to 26.3 post-test (p > 0.05). Additionally, a significant difference (p = 0.033) was observed in post-test BDI scores between the experimental and control groups, confirming the effectiveness of IICBT in managing depression. Conclusion: Findings of the study support the positive impact of Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in addressing depression among young adults. The study also highlights the importance of culturally adapted therapeutic approach as considerable reduction in overall levels of BDI, that tends to make the symptoms of depression less severe as compared to the control group.