The Effect of Group Logotherapy on Meaning in Life and Depression Levels of Iranian Students
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The Effect of Group Logotherapy on Meaning in Life and Depression Levels of Iranian Students Somaye Robatmili & Faramarz Sohrabi & Mohammad Ali Shahrak & Siavash Talepasand & Mostafa Nokani & Mohaddese Hasani
# The Author(s) 2014. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract This paper identifies the effectiveness of group logotherapy in reducing depression and increasing meaning in life levels of university students in Iran. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a pre- post- and follow-up test design. The instruments used were the Purpose in Life (PIL) test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were collected from 10 subjects in an experimental group and 10 in a control group. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of group logotherapy, whilst the control group received no intervention. The mean scores for depression levels was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group and significantly higher in regard to meaning in life. Results suggest that group logotherapy has the potential to reduce depression levels and improve the meaning in life of university students. Keywords Logotherapy . Meaning in life . Depression . Iranian students
Introduction Depression is a significant contributor to the global burden of psychological distress and affects people in all communities across the world (WHO 2012). The effects involve a depressed mood, a loss of interest or pleasure, decreased energy, feelings of guilt or low S. Robatmili (*) : F. Sohrabi Department of Clinical Psychology, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran e-mail: [email protected] M. A. Shahrak Head of Counseling Center of Amir Kabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran S. Talepasand Department of Educational Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran M. Nokani Department of Psychiatry, Medical Sciences University, Arak, Iran M. Hasani Department of Psychology, Zahedshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zahedshahr, Iran
Int J Adv Counselling
self-worth, disturbed sleep and appetite, and poor concentration (WHO 2012). Today, it is estimated to affect 350 million people, with a World Mental Health Survey conducted in 17 countries finding that, on average, about 1 in 20 people reported having an episode of depression in the previous year (WHO 2012). Depression may have a number of distinct causes, such as a chemical imbalance, environmental pressures, interpersonal problems, intrapersonal difficulties, lack of meaning in one’s life, or a combination of these (Allen-Meares 1995). Many people experience their first onset of depression during college years. Unfortunately, many college students who have depression are not getting the help they need. They may not know where to go for help, or they may believe that treatment will not help. Others do not get help because they think that their symptoms are just part of the typical stress of college, or they worry about being judged if they seek mental health care (Eisenberg, Golberstein, and Gollust 2007). The relative
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