Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
1. Ph.D. Student of Psychology, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
2
Professor, Psychology Departmen, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3
Professor, Psychology Departmen, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
4
M.D. professor of psychiatry,Ardabil University of Medical Science psychiatrist, Subspeciality in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Ardabil, Iran.
10.22098/jrp.2026.19050.1351
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of group behavioral activation (BA) therapy on reducing apathy, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). This quasi-experimental study used a pretest, posttest, and two-month follow-up design with a control group. The sample (n = 40) included adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in Kermanshah who were diagnosed with MDD and were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 20) or the control group (n = 20). The research instruments included the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS), Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC), and Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale (BSSI). The data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA in SPSS version 27. The results showed a statistically significant group × time interaction for both variables, confirming the effectiveness of the BA intervention. BA significantly increased the level of hopelessness (F=11.18, p<0.001, η2=0.22) and suicidal ideation (F=29.92, p<0.001, η2=0.37) compared to the control group. Furthermore, follow-up analysis confirmed that the treatment gains achieved in all variables were effectively maintained at the two-month follow-up assessment. The effect size (η2) was the strongest for reducing suicidal ideation (η2=0.37), followed by apathy (η2=0.24) and hopelessness (η2=0.22). The findings suggest that behavioral activation is an effective, evidence-based, and cost-effective intervention for reducing core depressive symptoms and exerting a profound therapeutic effect on high-risk constructs such as hopelessness and suicidal ideation in adolescents. This study emphasizes the importance of implementing BA in clinical and educational settings.
Keywords
)