The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy in Reducing Alexithymia Components in Women with Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Obesity, a complex global health challenge, is frequently associated with psychological comorbidities, including alexithymia—a recognized difficulty in identifying and describing one's own emotions. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Schema Therapy in reducing the specific components of alexithymia including difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking among women diagnosed with obesity. Methods: This randomized controlled trial utilized a pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population comprised women with obesity seeking treatment in nutrition and psychological clinics in Ahvaz, Iran, in ۲۰۲۴. A convenience sample of ۴۰ eligible women was recruited and randomly assigned to either the Schema Therapy experimental group (n=۲۰), participating in ۱۰ weekly ۹۰-minute sessions, or a control group (n=۲۰) receiving standard care or waitlist. Data were collected using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-۲۰). Repeated measures ANOVA was employed for data analysis. Results: Participants in the Schema Therapy group demonstrated statistically significant reductions across all three components of alexithymia at post-intervention (P<۰.۰۰۱). Large effect sizes were observed for the time × group interaction for difficulty identifying feelings (partial η²=۰.۲۳), difficulty describing feelings (partial η²=۰.۲۷), and externally oriented thinking (partial η²=۰.۱۸), indicating that the schema therapy group showed significantly greater reductions over time compared to the control group. These improvements were maintained at the two-month follow-up assessment, indicating sustained efficacy. Conclusion: Schema Therapy significantly reduced alexithymia and its components in women with obesity. These findings suggest that addressing emotional processing difficulties through Schema Therapy can enhance psychological well-being in this population.

کلیدواژه ها:

Schema therapy ، Alexithymia ، Obesity ، Women ، Emotional regulation