Aim: The prevalence of crime in many countries, including Iran, is increasing and thousands of women are entering prisons for various reasons every year. A large percentage of women prisoners suffer from personality disorders and mental illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of short-term interpersonal psychotherapy on depression symptoms reduction and mental well-being in women prisoners.
Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental research with pretest-posttest design with control group was performed in the central prison of Khorramabad, Iran, in 2013. Using available sampling method, 30 samples from women prisoners were selected and divided into two groups of control (15 subjects) and test (15 subjects) randomly. Data were collected using Beck depression inventory and Reef psychological well-Being questionnaire and in short-term interpersonal psychotherapy structure. Data analysis was performed using covariance analysis in SPSS 19 software.
Findings: In the experimental group after treatment, the depression and psychological well-being indicators were significantly improved (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The group interpersonal psychotherapy is effective in depression symptoms reduction and increasing the psychological well-being in women prisoners.