Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Group Therapy on Psychological Sense of Coherence in Individuals with Depressive Symptoms Referring to Counseling Centers

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic group therapy in improving psychological sense of coherence and its components of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness among individuals with depressive symptoms referring to counseling centers.

Materials and Methods: This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population consisted of individuals with depressive symptoms who attended counseling centers in Qom during the Iranian year 1404. Twenty eligible participants were recruited through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group, with 10 participants in each group. The experimental group received eight weekly 60-minute sessions of intensive short-term dynamic group therapy based on Davanloo’s approach, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the 35-item Sense of Coherence Questionnaire developed by Flensborg-Madsen et al. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 27 using multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance after controlling for pretest scores.

Findings: Multivariate analysis of covariance demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the combined dependent variables of psychological sense of coherence (Wilks’ Lambda=0.167, F=7.159, p=0.001). Univariate analyses indicated that the intervention produced a significant improvement in comprehensibility (F=8.369, p=0.012, η²=0.322) and meaningfulness (F=7.532, p=0.016, η²=0.300). However, the between-group difference in manageability was not statistically significant (F=2.341, p=0.147, η²=0.118).

Conclusion: Intensive short-term dynamic group therapy may improve important dimensions of psychological sense of coherence in individuals with depressive symptoms, particularly their ability to understand psychological experiences and perceive life events as meaningful. These effects may be explained by the therapy’s emphasis on identifying maladaptive defenses, confronting emotional avoidance, processing unconscious conflicts, and integrating previously fragmented emotional experiences. Nevertheless, the nonsignificant effect on manageability suggests that enhancing perceived coping resources may require longer treatment, additional skills-based interventions, or follow-up sessions.