Motivational Psychotherapy for Adolescent Depression

Atefe Momeni

Status

Completed

Conditions

Depression

Low Academic Self-Concept

Treatments

Behavioral: Motivational Psychotherapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07094243

Momeni2025-MP

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot study investigates the effectiveness of Motivational Psychotherapy in reducing symptoms of depression and improving academic self-concept among adolescent girls in Iran. A total of 30 participants aged 13 to 17 were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving Motivational Psychotherapy and a control group receiving no treatment. The intervention consisted of 8 weekly sessions based on the principles of motivational interviewing and was tailored to adolescent needs. Outcomes were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASCQ). Results suggest the potential benefit of this culturally sensitive approach in non-Western adolescent populations.

Full description

This randomized controlled pilot trial evaluated the effectiveness of Motivational Psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms and improving academic self-concept among adolescent girls in Iran. A total of 30 participants aged 13-17 years were randomly assigned to either the Motivational Psychotherapy group or a no-intervention control group.

The intervention consisted of 8 weekly individual sessions (60 minutes each) based on a manualized Motivational Psychotherapy protocol, adapted for adolescents in a non-Western context. The sessions focused on resolving ambivalence, enhancing intrinsic motivation, and strengthening environmental support.

Outcome measures included the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for depressive symptoms and the Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASCQ) for academic self-concept. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA to control for baseline differences between groups. The results showed significant improvement in depression scores and academic self-concept in the intervention group compared to the control group, supporting the feasibility and cultural relevance of Motivational Psychotherapy for adolescent mental health.

Enrollment

30 patients

Sex

Female

Ages

13 to 17 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
Female adolescents aged 13 to 17 years
Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate depression based on DSM-5 criteria
Currently enrolled in middle or high school
Informed consent obtained from parents/legal guardians and assent from adolescents

Exclusion criteria

Severe depression requiring urgent psychiatric care
Diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder (e.g., bipolar disorder, psychosis)
Ongoing psychotherapy or psychotropic medication use
Significant cognitive or developmental disability interfering with participation

Exclusion Criteria: