Objective
To evaluate the changes in anxious and depressive symptomatology, self‐esteem and social adaptation in college students who attended group psychotherapy for 6 months.
Method
A quasi‐experimental, one‐group pretest–post‐test design was utilised. The effect of group psychotherapy on the symptoms of anxiety, depression, self‐esteem and social adjustment was evaluated in 41 college students, with depressive‐anxious disorders as principal diagnoses. For six months, they were treated with interactional‐type psychotherapy and with pharmacological treatment if necessary.
Results
Significant improvements were found in depressive symptoms (p = .0001), state anxiety (p = .001), self‐esteem evaluated with the Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory (p = .039) and with the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale (p = .024) and social adaptation (p = .013). No effect was observed by gender or by adding pharmacological treatment.
Conclusions
Group psychotherapy may be useful in reducing depressive and anxious symptoms, and improving self‐esteem and social adaptation.