Comparing the Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Group Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Suicidal ideation and Emotional Security of Women with Major Depression

Objective: This study aims to assess the efficacy of Emotion-Focused Group Therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy on Suicidal ideation and Emotional security of women diagnosed with major depression. Methods and Materials: The current study utilized a semi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up arrangement, involving three groups consisting of two experimental groups one utilizing emotion-focused group therapy and the other cognitive-behavioral therapy, along with a control group. The statistical population for this study comprised all women diagnosed with major depression who sought treatment at psychological and counseling centers in Tehran between July and November 2023. A total of 45 female patients with major depression were purposefully selected as the sample for the study. The emotion-focused group therapy received eight 90-minute sessions twice a week, whereas the cognitive-behavioral therapy group underwent eleven 90-minute sessions twice a week, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The assessment tools used in this study included the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI) and the Security in the Family System Scale (SIFS). The data collected was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H, repeated measure ANOVA, and MANCOVA tests at a significance level of 0.05, with all statistical analyses conducted using SPSS version 27. Findings: The present study found no significant difference between the EFT and CBT groups in terms of suicidal ideation (P=0.897). However, there was a significant difference between the experimental groups and the control group (P<0.001). Both EFT and CBT interventions were effective in reducing suicidal ideation, with no significant difference between the experimental groups. However, there was a significant difference in Emotional security between the EFT and CBT groups (p < 0.001), as well as between the experimental groups and the control group (p < 0.001). EFT and CBT interventions were effective in increasing emotional security. Research showed that emotion-focused group therapy was superior to cognitive behavioral therapy in improving emotional security. Conclusion: The findings of the current research indicated that both cognitive behavioral therapy and emotion-focused group therapy can decrease suicidal ideation and enhance emotional security in women with major depressive disorder. However, emotion-focused group therapy was found to be more beneficial than cognitive behavioral therapy in this regard. Additionally, the aim is to improve emotional security.