Alexithymia

.Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural model of the relationship between alexithymia, Differentiation of Self, and gender roles in women’s sexual function with the mediation of social exchange styles. Method: This research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the study included all married women living in Tehran, of whom 550 people participated in the study through an online call. The instruments used in this study to collect data were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (1994), the Differentiation of Self Inventory (1999), the Bem Sex Role Scale (1981), the Women's Sexual Function Scale (Rosen et al., 2000), and the Leybman et al.’s (2011) Social Exchange Questionnaire. The structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and using LISREL software were applied to evaluate the proposed model. Intermediate relationships in the proposed model were also tested using the bootstrap method. Results: The results of structural equation modeling indicated the model fitness and showed that alexithymia has a negative impact on sexual performance by the mediation of utilitarianism and extreme investment styles. In addition, the masculine gender role directly affects women's sexual function. Conclusion: According to the results, social exchange styles should be considered in improving sexual function. The findings of the present study provide a useful framework for identifying the influential components in the field of social psychology in women's sexual function that should be considered in prevention and treatment programs.

The aim of the current research is to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness group training on psychological well-being, alexithymia and marital burnout. The current research is a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The population of the present study includes married women of Rodsar city in 2022. From this population, 30 persons were selected by purposive sampling and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 8 sessions of two-hour mindfulness group training and the control group did not receive any training. Psychological well-being scale (PWB), couple burnout measure (CBM) and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS) were used to collect research data. To analyze the data, covariance analysis test were used. The results of the research showed that mindfulness group training is effective in increasing the psychological well-being and reducing marital burnout and alexithymia of married women (p<0.01). Therefore, the results of the present study are useful for families to use this intervention to improve psychological well-being, alexithymia and marital burnout

  Objective : Over the past two decades, there has been widespread scientific attention to emotion regulation and the impact of emotional dysregulation on physical and mental health. The concept of alexia is rooted in the psychology of emotions and psychosomatic diseases. Many patients with psychosomatic complaints showed problems in emotional self-regulation. This research aimed to explore the association between alexithymia and psychological well-being in pregnant women during their 5th to 7th month of pregnancy. Methods : The study population consisted of pregnant women from the Mazandaran province, Iran, during 2022-2023. Employing purposive sampling, 200 pregnant women were selected from health centers. Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (FTAS-20) and the Psychological Well-being Scale (RSPWB). Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression test were used to analyze the data. Results : Results revealed an inverse relationship between alexithymia and psychological well-being (r = -0.388, p < 0.01). Approximately 53% of the variance in psychological well-being scores could be attributed to alexithymia. Conclusion : In conclusion, alexithymia serves as an effective predictor of maternal psychological well-being.

Objective: Divorce is one of the stressful experiences of the family that can lead to conflict and incompatibility between couples. The aim of this research was to Comparing the effectiveness of acceptance, commitment therapy and schema therapy on alexithymia of divorced women referring to welfare.Methods: The method of this research was semi-experimental with a pre- post-test design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all women who referred to welfare organization of Tabriz in the second half of 2022-2023, from which 60 people were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (20 people in each group). Before and after acceptance and commitment therapy and schema therapy interventions, questionnaire Toronto alexithymia (TAS-20) by Taylor et al. (1997) were used to collect data, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test was used for hypothese analysis.Results: The results of the analysis of covariance showed that the significance level in all comparisons was less than 0.05, except for the difficulty in identifying emotions, that both interventions were effective on the variable of alexithymia and its two components (p<0.05).Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, there was a difference between the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and schema therapy in all dependent variable components, except difficulty identifying emotions, and the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy was more than schema therapy.

Objective: This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the structural relationship of marital conflicts, alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and sexual dissatisfaction in married female students of University of Guilan. Methods: The present research method was descriptive and correlational. A sample of 175 people was selected from the community of married female student in University of Guilan. To collect data, Toronto alexithymia TAS-20, anxiety sensitivity ASI-R, marital conflicts MCQ and sexual satisfaction ISS questionnaires were used. Data analysis was done using structural equation analysis method through Amos software environment. Results: The results showed that the square of the multiple correlations 2R for the observed variable of marital conflicts was 0.45. This indicated that 45% of the variance in marital conflicts was explained by the variables of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity, and sexual dissatisfaction. The square of the multiple correlations for the variable of sexual dissatisfaction was 0.05. This indicated that 5% of the variance in sexual dissatisfaction was explained by the variables of relationship alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity. Finally, the square of the multiple correlations for the variable of anxiety sensitivity was 0.58. This indicated that 58% of the variance in anxiety sensitivity was explained by changes in the scores of the alexithymia variable. Conclusion: This study can be inferred that there is a significant relationship between alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity with marital conflicts and sexual dissatisfaction. It is hoped that different collection methods will be used in future studies. Also, this research can be carried out among different environments and in a larger and more diverse sample.

 Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the integrated approach of meaning therapy and hope therapy on tolerance of ambiguity, alexithymia, and psychological hardiness of women with breast cancer in Dezful City. Method: The statistical population of this study consisted of all women with breast cancer in Dezful in 2021, from whom 30 people were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Taylor, 1986), Ambiguity Tolerance Scale, and Hardiness Questionnaire (Kobasa et al.,1982) were administered to both groups. Then the experimental group was subjected to group therapy of the integrated approach of meaning therapy and hope therapy. The number of therapy sessions was eight 90-minute sessions, and after the end of the training course, both experimental and control groups completed the research questionnaires again. After collecting data, multivariate and univariate analyses of variance were used to analyze data via SPSS software. Results: The results of the data analysis confirmed the effectiveness of this integrated approach on tolerance of ambiguity, alexithymia, and psychological hardiness (p≤ 0/001). Also, the results showed the effect of this integrated approach on the dimensions of alexithymia (difficulty in recognizing emotions, difficulty in describing feelings, and extrovert thinking) and the dimensions of psychological hardiness (commitment, control, and struggle). Conclusion: The findings of this study could lead to positive consequences of the integrated approach of meaning therapy and hope therapy in women with breast cancer 

Aim: Emotional and cognitive components such as emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion have a significant impact on generalized anxiety disorder, and the above components are considered to be the main factors in the creation and continuation of this disorder. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare emotional intelligence, Alexithymia and thought-action fusion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people.Method: The present study was descriptive and causal-comparative in terms of its fundamental purpose and data collection method. The statistical population of the research was all generalized anxiety patients who referred to specialized psychiatry and counseling clinics in Qazvin city in the spring and summer of 1402, who were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder by specialists. From this statistical population, 50 people with pervasive anxiety and 50 normal people were selected by available sampling method. The tools of this research were Bar-N's Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (1980), Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire (1994) and Rachman and Shafran's Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire (1998). Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings:The results showed that there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence (F=24.22 and P<0.01), Alexithymia (F=14.77 and P<0.01) and thought-action fusion (F=9.85 and P<0.01) exists in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people. Conclusion:Therefore, it is recommended to pay special attention to the role of emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Also, experts can use the research results for the prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.