Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Alexithymia in Patients with Gastrointestinal Diseases: An Experimental Study

 Today, many people suffer from digestive system diseases. It seems that sufficient attention has not been paid to the role of psychological treatment methods in reducing the pain of these patients. The present study was conducted with the aim to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on alexithymia in patients with gastrointestinal disease.

 This semi-experimental research was performed with a pretest-posttest design and an unequal control group. The sample was selected using convenience sampling and consisted of 45 people (ACT, MBCT, and control groups). The intervention groups participated in ACT (Hayes et al, 2012) and MBCT (Crane, 2017) sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention. All participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) (Bagby, James, Parker, Graeme, & Taylor, 1994) in the pretest and posttest. The statistical method used in this research was univariate analysis of covariance. The data were analyzed in SPSS software.

 ACT and MBCT treatment methods significantly reduce alexithymia (P < 0.0001). However, there was no difference between the effects of the two treatment methods in alexithymia recovery.

 Based on the results of this study, both treatments can reduce the symptoms of emotional dyslexia in patients with gastrointestinal tract diseases. The results of this study can be useful to specialists in this field, and show the necessity of using psychological services to reduce psychosocial problems.