Strengths-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial in Students

Purpose This study examined the effectiveness of Strengths-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SBCBT) in reducing psychological distress and enhancing resilience among university students. Methods A longitudinal randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 students experiencing mild-to-moderate depression, anxiety, and stress and low resilience. Participants were randomly assigned to either an 8-week SBCBT intervention or a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based self-help control condition. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and one-month follow-up using the depression, anxiety, and stress and Brief Resilience Scale. Results Generalized Estimating Equations revealed significant Time × Group interactions across all outcomes. In the SBCBT group, depression decreased from 14.62 to 9.19, anxiety from 11.08 to 8.01, and stress from 20.45 to 13.45. Resilience increased from 2.41 to 3.48. Between-group analyses indicated large effect sizes, particularly for stress reduction ( d = −1.08) and resilience improvement ( d = 1.65). Discussion Findings support SBCBT as an effective, resilience-focused intervention for improving student mental health and well-being in university settings.