COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSED WORKING FATHERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

Depression among working fathers is an increasingly recognized yet underexplored mental health concern, especially in low-resource settings like Karachi, Pakistan. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based intervention in reducing symptoms of depression among working fathers. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 32 participants, aged 25–55 years, who were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 16) or an intervention group (n = 16). The intervention group received 10 weekly and 2 fortnightly group CBT sessions, while the control group received no psychological intervention. Depression severity was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at baseline and post-intervention. Paired samples t-tests showed a statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the intervention group (M = 7.44, p < .001), whereas no significant change was found in the control group (p = .759). These results indicate that CBT was effective in significantly reducing depression among working fathers. The findings underscore the importance of gender-sensitive, culturally tailored mental health interventions for men balancing professional and familial roles. This study contributes to the limited body of research on paternal mental health and provides empirical support for integrating CBT into workplace and community-based mental health programs for men in South Asia.