The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Reducing Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in University Students: A Study at Tehran University Central Branch

University students globally face an elevated risk of developing or exacerbating symptoms of anxiety and depression due to the unique combination of academic pressures, social transitions, and personal development challenges inherent to higher education. Traditional psychotherapeutic interventions have proven beneficial, yet there is growing recognition of the need for approaches that address the deeper, pervasive cognitive and emotional patterns underlying chronic psychological distress. Schema Therapy (ST), an integrative therapeutic model, offers a promising framework for this purpose. This study specifically investigates the effectiveness of Schema Therapy in alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms among a sample of students at the central branch of Tehran University. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, the findings robustly indicate that Schema Therapy leads to significant reductions in both anxiety and depression scores in the experimental group compared to the control group. These results underscore the substantial potential of Schema Therapy as a vital therapeutic modality for integration into university counseling centers, particularly within cultural contexts that may present unique stressors.

کلیدواژه ها:

Schema Therapy ، Anxiety ، Depression