Effectiveness of a Cognitive-Behavioral Psycho-Educational Program on Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
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Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral psycho-educational intervention in reducing suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms among adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) in Sulaimani, Iraq.
Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with control group was used. Sixty adults with MDD were recruited from a psychiatric hospital and allocated to an intervention group (n= 30) or a control group (n= 30). All participants received routine pharmacological treatment. The intervention group additionally attended a six-week psycho-educational program based on cognitive behavioral therapy, delivered in weekly 60–90 minute group sessions covering psychoeducation about depression and suicide, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, stress management, and family support. Suicidal ideation and depression severity were assessed at baseline and one week after the program using the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Because data were non-normally distributed, Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied, with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Findings: At baseline, groups did not differ significantly in socio-demographic characteristics or severity of depression and suicidal ideation. After the intervention, the experimental group showed a statistically significant reduction in depression scores and suicidal ideation severity, whereas no significant change was observed in the control group. Higher depressive symptom levels were associated with more severe suicidal ideation in both groups.
Conclusion: A CBT-based psycho-educational program appears to be an effective adjunct to usual care for reducing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in patients with MDD.
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