Comparison of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques on Alexithymia in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotional freedom techniques on alexithymia among patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. This applied quantitative study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a two-month follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of patients with functional dyspepsia who attended a psychosomatic gastroenterology clinic during 2024–2025. Sixty eligible participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (n = 20), emotional freedom techniques (n = 20), and a control group (n = 20). The mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program was delivered in eight weekly 90-minute group sessions, while emotional freedom techniques were implemented across five weekly 60-minute sessions. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) at pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS-28 after verification of statistical assumptions. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant within-subject effects across time for difficulty identifying feelings (F = 90.552, p = 0.001), difficulty describing feelings (F = 84.041, p = 0.001), and externally oriented thinking (F = 92.575, p = 0.001). Significant time × group interaction effects indicated differential changes among groups across measurement stages (p = 0.001). Between-subjects analyses demonstrated significant group differences in all alexithymia dimensions (p = 0.001). Bonferroni post hoc comparisons showed that both mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotional freedom techniques produced significant reductions in alexithymia compared with the control group (p = 0.001), while no statistically significant difference was found between the two intervention groups (p > 0.05). Treatment effects remained stable at the two-month follow-up. Both mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotional freedom techniques were effective interventions for reducing alexithymia in patients with functional dyspepsia, and their therapeutic outcomes were maintained over time, indicating that emotion-focused psychological interventions may play a significant role in psychosomatic treatment approaches