Introduction: Due to its unique characteristics among various therapeutic approaches, parents’ training is a supplement to psychotherapeutic interventions, where parents and other care-takers are trained against behavioral problems of their children. The present study investigated the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy along with behavior management of mothers in reduction of mothers’ depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among children aged 7 to 10.
Methods: The study used an experimental method with a pretest-posttest-follow-up scheme with control group at elementary schools of Behbahan, during year 2014. The statistical society was made up of several mothers with depression, who had 7- to 10-year-old children with the ADHD disorder. In this context, using a multistage random sampling approach, 24 depressed females with ADHD children were randomly chosen among 320 mothers with depression. These mothers were divided to two test and witness groups. Research tools involved diagnostic interviews, Beck Depression Inventory, and Conners’ Parent questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed. The experimental group received 18 sessions of group interventions. Data analysis was done using the SPSS software version 21 and descriptive statistics methods (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (covariance analysis).
Results: At the significance level of P < 0.05, results of covariance analysis in posttest showed a reduction in the average scores of mothers’ depression, compared to the control group (P < 0.001, F = 81.27), yet no significant change occurred in the average scores of ADHD disorder among children (P = 0.375, F = 0.821). Average scores of mothers’ depression and ADHD disorder in the follow-up stage in the test group had a significant decrease, compared to the control group (P < 0.004, F = 10.32 and P < 0.001, F = 27.87 respectively).
Conclusions: With regards to the findings on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and behavior management of the mothers on the reduction of mothers’ depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms among children, it is suggested that training and therapeutic programs should be used with further emphasis on the relationship between mothers and elementary school-aged children so that different behavioral, therapeutic, and educational problems in children can be prevented and mothers’ and children’s well-being can be improved.