Applied Research in Consulting

Investigating the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Post-Traumatic Damage and Growth in War-Affected Individuals..

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Gholam Hossein Adab 1
Maryam Mamghanieh 2
Farzaneh Ghavami 3
Behnam Askari Ahmadabad 4
mehranoosh ghanizadeh 5

1 PhD in Health Psychology, Kharazmi University; Deputy of Social and Mental Health, General Department of Health, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran.

2 hD in Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, University of Tehran; Head of Mental Health Department, General Department of Health, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran

3 MSc in Personality Psychology, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch; Expert-in-Charge, General Department of Health, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran.

4 MSc in Clinical Psychology, Allameh Tabataba’i University; Head of Social Health Department, General Department of Health, Tehran Municipality, Tehran, Iran.

5 PhD Student in Counseling, Islamic Azad University, Abhar Branch. Abhar, Iran.

Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on post-traumatic damage and growth in war-affected individuals. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of war-affected individuals in Tehran, from whom 30 participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control (15 participants per group). The experimental group participated in eight sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Farahbakhsh (2025/1404) Post-Traumatic Damage and Growth Questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results indicated that after controlling for pretest scores, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the total score of post-traumatic damage and growth, and cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly improved this variable in the experimental group. In other words, the cognitive-behavioral intervention was able to reduce the level of traumatic psychological consequences and facilitate an increase in post-traumatic growth symptoms among war-affected individuals. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be utilized as an effective intervention to mitigate psychological trauma and foster post-traumatic growth in individuals affected by war.

Keywords

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Post-Traumatic Damage and Growth
War
Psychological Intervention
سیدی، مهرنوش و داستانی، محبوبه. (1401). مقایسه تأثیر درمان شناختی-رفتاری و واقعیت درمانی بر سرمایه‌های روان‌شناختی و سلامت روان مادران کودکان ناتوان ذهنی. فصلنامه پژوهش های کاربردی در مشاوره. 5(4)، 111-89.
شیخلو، معصومه؛ یعقوبی، حسن و علی اصغری، علی. (1404). اثربخشی آموزش خودگویی مثبت با رویکرد شناختی رفتاری بر صمیمیت زناشویی در زنان عرب زبان مبتلا به سرطان. فصلنامه پژوهش های کاربردی در مشاوره. 8(2)، 7-23.
علیزاده، مریم؛ حسین‌زاده، مریم و خان محمدی، ارسلان. (1403). اثربخشی درمان شناختی رفتاری بر ابعاد واکنش پذیری هیجانی و سیستم های مغزی و رفتاری در افراد دارای گرایش به روابط فرازناشویی. مجله روانشناسی و روانپزشکی شناخت، 11(5)، 146-132.
ندائی، علی؛ قمری گیوی، حسین؛ شیخ الاسلامی، علی و صدری، اسماعیل. (1403). اثربخشی «درمان شناختی رفتاری» بر دشواری ها در تنظیم هیجان، عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی و آمیختگی فکر در زنان مبتلا به افسردگی و اضطراب همبود. نشریه مدیریت ارتقای سلامت، 13(5)، 29-12.
Acarturk, C., Uygun, E., Ilkkursun, Z., Carswell, K., Ventevogel, P., & Sijbrandij, M. (2022). Effectiveness of a WHO self-help psychological intervention for Syrian refugees in Turkey: A randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 88–95.
Blackwell, S. E., Ehlers, A., Wild, J., & Clark, D. M. (2020). Cognitive therapy for PTSD: Mechanisms of change. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 132, 103657.
Lewis, C., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Starling, E., & Bisson, J. I. (2020). Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1729633.
Meiser-Stedman, R., Smith, P., McKinnon, A., Dixon, C., Trickey, D., Ehlers, A., & Dalgleish, T. (2020). Cognitive therapy as an early intervention for PTSD in children and adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 133, 103701.
Schäfer, I., Hopwood, M., Clare, P., Duflou, J., & Bryant, R. A. (2021). Trauma-focused therapy for PTSD in conflict‑exposed populations: A meta‑analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34(4), 699–712.
Shakespeare‑Finch, J., & Lurie‑Beck, J. (2021). A meta‑analytic clarification of the relationship between posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(4), 1057–1068.
Solomon, Z., Greene, T., & Ein-Dor, T. (2021). Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among combat veterans: A longitudinal perspective. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 13(2), 155–164.
Tay, A. K., Rees, S., Kareth, M., & Silove, D. (2022). Mental health outcomes among conflict-affected civilians in low-resource settings: A longitudinal study. PLOS Medicine, 19(5), e1004015.
World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies. WHO Press.
Zhen, R., & Zhou, X. (2022). Post-traumatic cognitive change and post‑traumatic growth after mass trauma: A mediated model. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 35(1), 34–48.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us