Avicenna Journal of Neuropsychophysiology

en Effectiveness of Healing Codes Intervention and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Help-Seeking and Social Competence among Female Adolescents with Depressive Symptoms Depression پژوهشي Research Article Background and Objective: Adolescent depression constitutes a profound mental health challenge, frequently precipitating deficits in psychosocial functioning, notably in help-seeking behaviors and social competence. The present study aimed to evaluate and contrast the efficacy of Healing Codes Intervention (HCI) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) in bolstering these domains among female adolescents exhibiting depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods: The study employed a pretest-posttest-follow-up design and targeted the entire cohort of 2,200 female secondary high school students in Ahvaz, Iran, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Through clustered random sampling, 45 participants meeting depressive symptom criteria—verified by DSM-5 guidelines and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)—were recruited and randomly allocated to three equal groups (n=15 per group): HCI (14 weekly 90-min sessions), EFT (eight weekly 90-min sessions), and a no-intervention control group. Outcomes were assessed via the Help-Seeking Behavior Questionnaire and the Social Competence Scale (SCS). In addition, data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Both HCI and EFT cohorts evinced marked and enduring elevations in help-seeking behavior and social competence relative to controls (P<0.001; significant group× time interactions: help-seeking F=86.33, η²=0.70; social competence F=333.46, η²=0.84). These outcomes persisted through the follow-up phase. Although EFT yielded modestly superior immediate outcomes (e.g., a post-test social competence difference favoring EFT over HCI that was significant at P=0.015), intergroup disparities in therapeutic impact at follow-up were not statistically significant. Conclusions: These results affirm HCI and EFT as viable modalities for ameliorating psychosocial impairments associated with adolescent depression. Their incorporation into school-based and clinical curricula is advocated to cultivate adaptive help-seeking behaviors and interpersonal proficiencies in affected youth.   Depression, Emotion-focused therapy, Help-seeking behavior, Social competence 215 221 http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-973-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fatemeh Mousavi f.mousavi3264@iau.ac.ir 10031947532846008848 0009-0002-3146-0133 No Department of Psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. Zahra Dasht Bozorgi zdashtbzrgi@gmail.com 10031947532846008849 10031947532846008849 Yes Department of Psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. Farah Naderi naderifa2@gmail.com 10031947532846008850 10031947532846008850 No Department of Psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. Sahar Safarzadeh safarzadesa@gmail.com 10031947532846008851 0009-0006-7603-1913 No Department of Psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.