Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: Metacognitive therapy (MCT) is a new psychotherapy for depression. This
study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of citalopram and MCT on major depressive
disorders (MDDs).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 36 patients with MDD were randomly assigned into three
groups of citalopram (n = 12), MCT (n = 16), and control (n = 8). MCT group received ten sessions
of metacognition therapy. Citalopram group received 20–40 mg citalopram, and the control group
did not receive any interventions. Outcomes were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory‑II,
Metacognition Questionnaire‑30, and Cognitive‑Emotion Regulation (CER) Questionnaire. Data were
analyzed with ANCOVA using SPSS version 18.
RESULTS: Depression score reduction was significant in both citalopram and metacognitive
groups (P < 0.05). However, there was only a statistically significant difference between MCT and
control group in CER and metacognition.
CONCLUSION: MCT and citalopram both are effective in symptom reduction in MDD. Furthermore,
MCT could lead to more improvement in metacognition, depression symptoms, and CER than
citalopram, when treating MDDs.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Test anxiety is one of the most disabling disorders and annual school academic
performance will affect millions of students. Hence, it needs attention and treatment. Therefore,
this research aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness‑based stress reduction (MBSR)
therapy on emotion regulation and test anxiety of students and test the remaining effect of this
treatment after 3 month.
METHODS: Sample size of fifty participants randomly divided into experimental (MBSR) and control
groups. The MBSR training interventions were implemented to the experimental group, in eight
weekly sessions using MBSR manual by John Kabat‑Zinn (2013). Participants in both groups were
evaluated using the Test Anxiety Scale and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The
study findings were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures.
RESULTS: The result shows that the MBSR program has had continuous significant effects on test
anxiety (P < 000) and emotion regulation (P < 000) but was not significant only for the self‑blame
subscale (P = 0.126).
CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicated that the effects of MBSR lasted through the follow‑up,
for both of these variables. Using the results of this study may be proposed school counselors use
mindfulness to reduce the anxiety of their pupils.