Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Alexithymia in Women with Fibromyalgia
Keywords:
Cognitive-Behavioral group Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment group Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction group therapy, Alexithymia, FibromyalgiaAbstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction on alexithymia in women with fibromyalgia.
Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest and a three-month follow-up, including three experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population consisted of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia who attended pain clinics in Shiraz during the summer and autumn of 2024. Eighty-four participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to four equal groups: cognitive-behavioral group therapy, acceptance and commitment group therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy, and a control group. Each intervention was delivered in eight weekly sessions. Alexithymia was assessed using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures mixed ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
Findings: Inferential analyses indicated that cognitive-behavioral therapy was most effective in reducing difficulty in identifying feelings, acceptance and commitment therapy showed the strongest effect on difficulty in describing feelings, and all three interventions significantly reduced externally oriented thinking. Significant differences were also observed in total alexithymia scores between the experimental and control groups at posttest and follow-up.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that although all three psychological interventions are effective in reducing alexithymia in women with fibromyalgia, acceptance and commitment therapy demonstrates superior overall effectiveness. This approach may therefore be recommended as a priority psychological intervention in comprehensive treatment programs for patients with fibromyalgia.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Armineh Nowzari, Hasan Rezaei Jamalouei, Ahmad Sobhani, Hamidreza Nikyar (Author)
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