Preliminary Results of the Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Self-compassion, and Inferiority Feelings in Gifted Adolescents

Although gifted individuals are successful in areas requiring high cognitive performance, they may face many difficulties in social-emotional development and mental health. This study examined the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) on levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-compassion, and inferiority among gifted adolescents. A total of 24 adolescents were randomly assigned to either an experimental group ( n = 12) or a control group ( n = 12). Data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and Inferiority Scale (IFS). CBGT program was applied to the experimental group, while no intervention was applied to the control group. One month after the end of the intervention program, a focus group interview was conducted with the participants. As a result of the study, it was determined that CBGT provided significant decreases in depression, anxiety, stress and inferiority scores and significant increases in self compassion scores of adolescents in the experimental group. On the other hand, there was no significant change in the depression, anxiety, stress, self compassion and inferiority scores of the control group. These results suggest that CBGT can be considered an effective intervention to improve mental health outcomes—such as reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and feelings of inferiority, while increasing self-compassion—thereby contributing to a broader construct of psychological well-being among gifted adolescents.