A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Depression in Family Caregivers of Hospitalized Patients with Lung Cancer

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing depression among family caregivers of hospitalized patients with lung cancer. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control-group design with a two-month follow-up. The statistical population comprised family caregivers of patients with lung cancer hospitalized at Shohada Hospital in Tehran in 2024. Forty-eight eligible caregivers were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to schema therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and control groups, with 16 participants in each group. The experimental groups received eight group-based intervention sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons in SPSS version 26. Mixed analysis of variance indicated significant effects of time, group, and the time-by-group interaction on depression scores (p<.05). Bonferroni pairwise comparisons demonstrated that both schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduced depression at posttest and follow-up compared with the control group (p<.05). A statistically significant difference was also observed between the two experimental groups. Cognitive behavioral therapy produced a significantly greater reduction in depression than schema therapy at both posttest and the two-month follow-up (p<.05). Both schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy were effective in reducing depression among family caregivers of hospitalized patients with lung cancer. However, cognitive behavioral therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness and may therefore be considered a suitable structured, short-term psychological intervention for caregiver-support programs in oncology and hospital settings.