title: A Comparative Study of Group Behavioral Activation and Cognitive Therapy in Reducing Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the effectiveness of two group treatments, behavioral activation (BA) and cognitive therapy (CT), in reducing subsyndromal anxiety and depressive symptoms in a sample of Iranian university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven Iranian university students who scored 18 or higher on the depression subscale and 16 or higher on the anxiety subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42) were randomly assigned into treatment groups. One group received 8 sessions of BA (n = 14), and the other received 8 sessions of group CT (n = 13).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of covariance revealed that the BA group had a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than the CT group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the levels of anxiety, stress symptoms or functional impairment after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found evidence for the effectiveness of BA in reducing anxiety, depressive and stress symptoms and functional impairment compared to CT. BA was more effective than CT in improving depressive symptoms and was as effective as CT in decreasing anxiety, stress and functional impairment. BA is also a cost-effective intervention, particularly in group formats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parvaneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mohammadkhani
authors.affiliation: University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Behroz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dolatshahi
authors.affiliation: Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA.
authors.forename: Karenleigh A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Overmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Coolidge
keywords: Behavioral Activation Therapy; Cognitive Therapy; Functional Impairment; Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms