Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects women at approximately twice the rate of men, often leading to complex symptoms like alexithymia and experiential avoidance.
Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Written Exposure Therapy (WET) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) on decreasing alexithymia and experiential avoidance in women with PTSD.
Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study conducted in 2024. The statistical population included all women aged 18 to 40 with PTSD referred to counseling centers and psychological clinics in Tehran. A convenience sample of 90 eligible participants was selected and randomly assigned to a WET group (n = 30), a CPT group (n = 30), and a control group (n = 30). The WET group received five sessions, while the CPT group received 12 sessions. Data were collected using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.
Results: Both WET and CPT interventions were effective, leading to significant reductions in alexithymia (F = 68.42, P<0.001, η²p = 0.44) and experiential avoidance (F = 59.87, P<0.001, η²p = 0.41) at post-test and three-month follow-up. The findings showed that WET was more effective than CPT in decreasing alexithymia (mean reduction: 16.6 vs. 14.2 points), whereas CPT had a greater effect on reducing experiential avoidance (mean reduction: 12.6 vs. 16.6 points) (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Both therapies significantly reduce alexithymia and experiential avoidance, with WET showing greater efficacy for alexithymia and CPT for experiential avoidance, sustained at three-month follow-up. These findings inform clinicians in selecting targeted interventions based on patients’ predominant symptoms, enhancing personalized treatment for women with PTSD.

Abstract Background: Nurses play a vital role in healthcare, and their well-being directly impacts the quality of patient care they provide. However, the demanding nature of nursing work, characterized by long hours, shift work, and emotional strain, can affect their personal lives, including marital quality.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional empathy, alexithymia, and marital quality in nursing students in Ahvaz City and to predict marital quality based on emotional empathy and alexithymia.
Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population included all married nursing students at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences in 2023. A sample of 204 married students was selected using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis. SPSS software v27 was used for data analysis.
Results: The results showed that emotional empathy had a positive and significant correlation with marital quality (p <0.001), and alexithymia had a negative and significant correlation with marital quality (p <0.001) in nursing students. The results of the simultaneous regression analysis showed that emotional empathy and alexithymia predicted 49% of the variance in marital quality.
Conclusion: This study identifies emotional empathy and alexithymia as important factors in marital quality for nursing students. However, recognizing the complexity of marital satisfaction, the authors advocate for interventions that address these factors alongside other relevant contributors.