The Effectiveness of Emotion Focused Therapy on Alexithymia and Psycho -somatic Complaints in Patients of COVID-19 under Home Treatment

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of emotion focused therapy on alexithymia and psychosomatic complaints in patients of COVID-19 under home treatment. A quasi-experimental design was used. The statistical population included patients of COVID-19 under home treatment in early 6 months of 2021 in Tehran. Through snowball sampling method, 30 participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned to two groups of EFT or control ( n1=n2=15(. Research tools were Takata & Sakata’s Psychosomatic Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, which were administered in three stages for two groups and Goldman, Greenberg’s EFT to the experimental group during ten weekly, 90- minute sessions and data were analyzed using mixed model repeated measures analysis variance. Finding showed that EFT could decrease psychosomatic complaints, difficult in recognizing feelings, difficult description of emotions and concrete thought and this effect remained stable at follow- up. Therefore, EFT effect on decreasing Alexithymia and psychosomatic complaints in patients of COVID-19. According to efficacy this treatment package, was suggested it be used for decreasing Alexithymia and psychosomatic complaints in patients of COVID-19.

Keywords

• eft
• psychosomatic
• alexithymia
• covid-19