Comparative Effects of Emotion-Focused Therapy and Yoga Therapy on Somatic Symptoms and Alexithymia in Depressed Married Women
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Objective: This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of EFT and yoga therapy on somatic symptoms and alexithymia in depressed married women.
Methods and Materials: This semi-experimental study employed a pre-test and post-test design with experimental and control groups. A sample of 30 married women aged 20–45 diagnosed with depressive disorder was randomly assigned to three groups: EFT (n = 10), yoga therapy (n = 10), and a control group (n = 10). Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Paul and Enright Somatic Symptoms Questionnaire, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Interventions were conducted over 12 weekly 90-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance and SPSS.16.
Findings: EFT showed greater effectiveness in reducing alexithymia (mean reduction: 39.9%) compared to yoga therapy (27.5%) and the control group (2.1%) (p<0.001). Similarly, somatic symptoms decreased significantly in the EFT group (30.1%) compared to yoga therapy (26.8%) and the control group (0.7%).
Conclusion: EFT demonstrates superior effectiveness in addressing both somatic symptoms and alexithymia in depressed married women. Yoga therapy also provides significant benefits, making both approaches valuable tools for counselors. Integrating these therapies into counseling programs may enhance psychological and marital well-being.
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