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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1479310

Comparative Analysis of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Enhancing Psychological Capital Among Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Provisionally accepted
Cexin Dong Cexin Dong Jinfa Zhao Jinfa Zhao Yating Wei Yating Wei Deyuan Wu Deyuan Wu Zhu Cai Zhu Cai *
  • Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Medical students are confronted with a complex stress environment, encompassing academic challenges, residency training, and future workplace pressures. Therefore, the exploration of effective psychological capital intervention strategies is crucial for enhancing their mental health and promoting career development. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in boosting the psychological capital of medical students and to compare the advantages and disadvantages of these two therapies. Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted, recruiting 56 second-year medical students, who were randomly assigned into three groups: GCBT intervention group, DBT intervention group, and control group. The intervention period lasted for 6 weeks, during which the GCBT and DBT groups received respective interventions, while the control group did not receive any intervention.Results: Regardless of whether GCBT or DBT was used as an intervention, the psychological capital levels of the intervention group students showed significant improvement (mean ± SD, P<0.05), with effect sizes ranging from 0.324 to 0.667. Further follow-up studies revealed that this improvement remained stable within one month post-intervention (mean ± SD, P<0.05). Conclusion: Both group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) have been proven to be effective psychological intervention methods, capable of significantly enhancing the psychological capital of medical students. However, there are certain differences in their effects, providing diverse intervention options to cater to the varied psychological needs of medical students.

    Keywords: Psychological Capital, Medical students, Group psychological intervention, Group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy

    Received: 14 Aug 2024; Accepted: 13 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dong, Zhao, Wei, Wu and Cai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhu Cai, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.