Preliminary findings on the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment: A controlled trial on its effectiveness on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms for Turkish Adults

Abstract

The present study investigates the feasibility and initial efficacy of the Unified Protocol (UP) for anxiety and depressive symptoms in Turkish university students with a pretest-posttest control group research design. Thirty-four undergraduate students with high levels of depressive and/or anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to one of two study conditions: an intervention group based on the UP (n=17) or a waitlist control group (n=17). To determine the effectiveness of treatment, a 2 (intervention-control group) x 2 (pre-post test) mixed measures variance analysis was applied for the primary outcome measures: degree of anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as positive and negative affect and psychological well-being. The analyses revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-treatment scores on all outcome measures in the intervention group; these improvements were also significantly greater than those in the control group. In other words, participants receiving the Unified Protocol reported lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, decreased negative affect, higher levels of positive affect, and improved psychological well-being compared to the control condition. The findings of this study provide preliminary support for the efficacy of the Unified Protocol in a Turkish sample. The study findings are evaluated in light of the relevant literature and within the scope of the study’s limitations, and suggestions for academic and clinical applications are presented.