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

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.

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
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