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.