Effectiveness of Unity-Oriented Psychology Approach on Depression and Suicidal Tendencies in Male Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

2 M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: The current study examines the effectiveness of unity-oriented intervention on depression and suicidal tendencies of Shahid Beheshti University students.
 
Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest, posttest, and control group, including a three-month follow-up. The statistical population included all male students aged 19 to 24, attending Shahid Beheshti University in 2018. The statistical population of this research included 895 male students living at university dormitories. Through screening, 20 students were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The subjects were evaluated before and after interventions using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck, Kovacs & Weissman, 1979) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). The unity-oriented intervention was administered in 10 sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours in the experimental group, while there was no intervention in the control group. The data were analyzed through the Mann-Whitney U test.
 
Results: Findings show that unity-oriented intervention has a significant effect on depression (U=15, P=0.02) and suicidal ideation (U=14.5, P=0.019), and this effect remained unchanged in the three-month follow-up phase.
 
Conclusion: Through the integration of life experiences and acceptance of life's realities, the unity-oriented psychological approach promotes a sense of belonging and meaningfulness, decreasing depression symptoms and suicidal tendencies. Therefore, it can be used as an effective intervention method to alleviate psychological problems, especially suicidality and depression, and also promote students' well-being.

Keywords

References

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