Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
2 Department of Psychology, Firozabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Firozabad, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Infertility is a profoundly distressing experience that often leads to psychological challenges and mental health disorders. Throughout the demanding process of infertility treatment, couples, especially women, endure physical, psychological, and social difficulties, including emotional disturbances and reduced tolerance for distressing situations. The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral training (CBT) in improving emotional dyslexia (alexithymia) and distress tolerance among infertile women undergoing treatment in Ahvaz (Iran).
Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included infertile women receiving treatment in Ahvaz, from whom 70 participants were selected via cluster sampling method and randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The research instruments were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby, Parker, and Taylor, 1994) and the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS; Simmons and Gaher, 2005). The intervention comprised nine sessions of CBT-based training following Wildermut’s (2008) therapeutic framework, which was administered exclusively to the experimental group. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA/MANCOVA).
Results: The findings indicated that CBT significantly improved emotional dyslexia (alexithymia) in the experimental group (effectiveness: 47.67%) compared to the control group (56.99%). Similarly, distress tolerance increased by 53.44% in the experimental group versus 34.48% in the control group. Cronbach’s alpha for all variables exceeded 0.70, confirming reliability.
Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral training served as an effective therapeutic-educational intervention, which enhanced distress tolerance and reduced emotional dyslexia (alexithymia) in infertile women.
IRCT Registration Number: IRCT20240112060692N.
Keywords
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