Comparison of the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness-based Therapy in Improving Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Major Depressive Disorder

Background & aim: Major depression disorder is one of the common mental disorders that the way of cognitive emotional regulation influences in development or reducing symptoms of this disorder. Since cognitive emotional regulation plays an important role in coping with life problems, this disorder causes emotional disturbances such as major depression. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based therapy to improve cognitive emotion regulation in Major depressive disorder Methods: the present experimental study was conducted using a pretest- posttest approach with two groups. 30 participants with major depression disorder in Sfarayen counseling and higher education centers were randomly selected and divided in two groups of 15. Each group was under cognitive-behavior and based on mindfulness treatment during 8 sessions, each 90 minutes. They were analyzed using clinical diagnostic interview and cognitive emotional regulation questionnaire. Independent t-test was used for data analysis. Results: t-test results and comparison of differences between pretest and posttest scores indicated that mindfulness-based therapy in improving cognitive emotion regulation in patients with major depression was more effective than cognitive-behavioral therapy (t= -2/85, p=0/008). Conclusion: The cognitive behavioral and based on mindfulness treatment were effective in cognitive emotional regulation improvement, since treatment of based on mindfulness puts emphasis on current feelings and avoidance of self-judgment, and can also be more effective than cognitive behavioral method in using adaptive strategies of cognitive emotional regulation by patients with major depressio