The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Anxiety and Depression among Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common and debilitating psychological disorders, characterized by excessive worry, physical tension, and persistent restlessness, and is often comorbid with depressive disorders. The comorbidity of anxiety and depression exacerbates symptoms, decreases quality of life, and increases the overall treatment burden. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as one of the most evidence-based and effective psychological interventions, focuses on the modification of dysfunctional thoughts, cognitive restructuring, and the enhancement of coping skills, aiming to reduce negative emotions and improve psychological functioning. The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of CBT in reducing anxiety and depression among patients with GAD. This research employs a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures and a control group. The statistical population includes all patients diagnosed with GAD who attended counseling and psychotherapy centers in Tehran in ۲۰۲۵. From this population, ۳۰ participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (۱۵ participants in each). The experimental group received group-based CBT according to Beck et al.’s protocol over ten ۹۰-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), both of which have demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability in previous Iranian studies. Data analysis was conducted using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) via SPSS version ۲۶. It is expected that the results will demonstrate a significant reduction in anxiety and depression levels in the experimental group compared to the control group following the intervention. These findings would provide further empirical support for the efficacy of CBT in alleviating emotional symptoms among patients with GAD in the Iranian context. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study may serve as a foundation for expanding CBT-based interventions in clinical settings and for developing training programs for mental health practitioners.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) ، Anxiety ، Depression ، Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)