Study on the Effect of Group Psychological Counseling on Adolescent Depression by Behavior Activation

Objective: To explore the effect of group psychological counseling intervention on adolescent depression by behavior activation. Methods: From April to June, 2024, 24 middle school students with depression were recruited from a youth activity center in Hangzhou, and they were randomly divided into two groups. Each group was given behavioral activation group psychological counseling intervention once a week for 60 minutes, with a total of 12 times. The pre-and post-test data of 24 participants in the Behavior Activation Scale (BADS-SF), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (PHQ-9) were collected, and the independent sample T test was conducted. Results: The statistical results showed that: (1) The total score of BADS-SF and the factor score of behavior activation (AC) were significantly improved after intervention (p<0.05); The factor score of behavior avoidance (AV) did not decrease significantly (p>0.05). (2) After the intervention, the positive coping score of SCSQ was significantly improved, while the negative coping score was significantly decreased (p<0.05). (3) The total score of PHQ-9 in the intervention group decreased significantly (p<0.01), while the total score of PHQ-9 in the control group did not change significantly (p>0.05). Conclusion: The implementation of group psychological counseling with behavioral activation can significantly improve the depression of adolescents.