Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Counseling, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
2
Department of Psychology, Dez.C., Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran
3
Department of Counseling, MaS.C., Islamic Azad University, Masjed Soleiman, Iran
10.22126/jap.2026.14557.1937
Abstract
Background: this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on alexithymia, metacognitive beliefs, and the sense of coherence in elderly men exhibiting symptoms of anxiety.
Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test approach and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all elderly men with anxiety symptoms in the city of Behbahan during the second half of the year 1404. The sample comprised 30 elderly men (aged 65–75) with anxiety symptoms, selected via convenience sampling based on inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). The experimental group received Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Redford, 2007) over eight weeks, consisting of one 90-minute session per week. The instruments used included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Cartwright-Hatton and Wells Metacognitive Beliefs Scale, and Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Scale. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via SPSS software (version 22).
Findings: The results indicated that, after controlling for pre-test effects, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups at the post-test stage regarding alexithymia, metacognitive beliefs, and sense of coherence (p < 0.001).
Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, cognitive-behavioral therapy improves alexithymia, metacognitive beliefs, and the sense of coherence in elderly men with anxiety symptoms. It opens up new horizons in psychological interventions and can be employed as an effective intervention method to improve these factors in this population.
Main Subjects
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