The Effectiveness of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on the Management of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Parkinson's Patients

Abstract Background: Despite the negative effects of depression in Parkinson's disease, there is currently no evidencebased standard of care. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy in depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with Parkinson's Tehran city. Methods: This quasi experimental research with experimental and control groups at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. The study population included patients 60 to 75 years with Parkinson's disease centers and psychiatric services Tehran city, based on a random sample of 80 individuals with high scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck depression scale were randomly divided into two 40 groups: experimental and control groups were divided. The interventions (Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in the experimental group were 8 weeks and once a week, the control group did not receive any training. In order to test the hypotheses, methods of analysis of variance with repeated measures was used. Results: The results showed that the independent variable is effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. Group cognitive behavioral therapy stress reduction resulted in decreased expression of depression and anxiety (p<0.05) in patients with Parkinson's Tehran city. Conclusion: Using effective psychological interventions such as Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can enhance mood, reduce anxiety and Depression and adhere more to treatment recommendations and thus they can help prevent the complications of Parkinson's and take an effective step in order to increase the level of physical and mental health of these patients.</p