Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Depression and Anxiety in Students of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background: Mental health is an important aspect of students' health as the future of the country, and they are exposed to many stressors due to their age and social status. This research was conducted with the aim to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on depression and anxiety.

Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was performed with a pretest-posttest design and an experimental and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all students of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran, who enrolled in the 2014-2015 academic year. For this purpose, 48 students were selected through purposive sampling and were divided into two groups (experimental and control). Both ACT and schema therapy were performed in 12 weekly sessions. The data collection tools consisted of the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The questionnaires were completed in the pretest and posttest stages. The data analysis was carried out using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS software.

Results: The results of MANCOVA showed that there is a significant difference between the effectiveness of schema therapy and ACT on depression and anxiety. Schema therapy was more effective in treating depression compared to ACT in the students (P < 0.001). Nevertheless, ACT was more effective in reducing students' anxiety than schema therapy (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that schema therapy was more effective in treating depression, but ACT was more effective in reducing anxiety in students.