Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Esmaeil Sadri Damirchi ¹
• Mohammadreza Noroozi Homayoon ²
• fatemeh Gohari ²
• mobin rashidi ¹

¹ Professor, Department of counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

² PhD Student in Counseling, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-emotional regulation training on perceived social support, suicidal ideation, and feelings of loneliness among students diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This semi-experimental research employed a pretest-posttest control group design. The sample comprised 30 students with MDD, divided into experimental and control groups, selected through convenience sampling from psychological counseling centers. The experimental group underwent eight sessions of cognitive-emotional regulation training based on Gratz and Gunderson’s protocol (2006).



Instruments included the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (Zimet et al., 1988), the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell), and Beck’s Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, which were utilized to measure the study variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 software.



Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that cognitive-emotional regulation training had a significant effect on perceived social support, loneliness, and suicidal ideation among students with MDD. Notably, loneliness scores decreased significantly post-intervention (F=41.952, p<0.01, η²=0.646), as did suicidal ideation scores (F=114.906, p<0.01, η²=0.833). Furthermore, significant increases were observed in all subscales of perceived social support: family (F=182.590, p<0.01, η²=0.888), friends (F=112.928, p<0.01, η²=0.830), and others (F=49.797, p<0.01, η²=0.684).



These findings suggest that cognitive-emotional regulation training positively and significantly improves perceived social support while reducing suicidal ideation and feelings of loneliness in students suffering from Major Depressive Disorder.

Keywords

• Cognitive emotional regulation training
• perceived social support
• suicidal thoughts
• loneliness
• major depressive disorder

Main Subjects

• Clinical Psychology