Effectiveness of a Structured Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Programme in Reducing Mild to Moderate Depression among Young Adults

Liby Cherian, Kavya Vijayan

Abstract: Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders among young adults and the late teens and early twenties are a time when an individual can be particularly vulnerable to the onset of depression. There is a significant proportion of the population burden with mild to moderate presentations, which are often between the levels of support that are provided and the levels that are needed. In the present study, the efficacy of a specially designed structured programme of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in reducing mild to moderate depressive symptoms in young adults was assessed in an Indian context. The quasi-experimental pre test post- test control group design with 4 weeks follow up was used. Two hundred young adults (18-25 years) who scored within the cognitive range of the Beck Depression Inventory-II between 14 and 28 points were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 50) that received a 12-session manualised programme over 8 weeks, or a wait-list control group (n = 50). Outcomes were assessed using the BDI-II, the depression subscale of the DASS-21, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale. Data were analysed with t-tests, analysis of covariance, two-way analysis of variance, repeated measures analysis of variance, chi-squares, correlation and multiple regression. The groups did not differ at baseline on any demographic or psychological variables. The mean BDI-II scores for the experimental group decreased from 20.58 to 11.50 while the control group decreased from 20.86 to 19.56. The between-group difference at post-test was significant, t(98) = 7.96, p < .001, d = 1.59, and remained so after adjustment for baseline severity, F(1, 97) = 90.46, p < .001, partial ?? = .483. There were also improvements in negative automatic thoughts and self-esteem that were significant. A significant interaction with time was obtained and gains were significantly sustained at follow-up for a significant group. The remission rate in the experimental group (60%) was significantly higher than in the controls (12%). The results suggest that this short manualised and group-deliverable CBT programme is highly effective compared to no intervention for young adults with mild to moderate depression. However, the effect observed is exaggerated by the inclusion of an inactive comparison condition, by the use of unblinded self-report and by volunteer sampling, and by the non-mechanism design it is not possible to conclude about the mechanism of change. The study provides evidence for the integration of structured cognitive-behavioural programmes into the educational and community mental health continuum within these boundaries, especially in contexts where the treatment gap for common mental disorders is large.

Keywords: cognitive behaviour therapy, depression, young adults, emerging adulthood, automatic thoughts, self-esteem, quasi-experimental design, India

How to Cite?: Liby Cherian, Kavya Vijayan, "Effectiveness of a Structured Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Programme in Reducing Mild to Moderate Depression among Young Adults", Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 775-796, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26811104944, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26811104944

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