The Effectiveness of Cognitive Restoration Therapy on Alexithymia and Sleep Regulation in Patients with Chronic Pain
Keywords:
Cognitive Restoration Therapy, alexithymia, sleep quality, chronic pain, randomized controlled trialAbstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Restoration Therapy in reducing alexithymia and improving sleep regulation among patients with chronic pain. This randomized controlled trial employed a pre-test, post-test, and five-month follow-up design. Forty patients diagnosed with chronic pain were recruited from a hospital in Tehran and randomly assigned to either a Cognitive Restoration Therapy group (n=20) or a control group (n=20). The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used as measurement tools. The intervention consisted of eight weekly sessions of Cognitive Restoration Therapy. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated significant time effects and significant time × group interactions for both alexithymia and sleep regulation (p<.001). Significant between-group effects were also observed, with large effect sizes (η²=.78–.83). Bonferroni post-hoc analyses showed significant differences between pre-test and post-test, as well as between pre-test and follow-up in the intervention group, while no significant difference was observed between post-test and follow-up, indicating stability of treatment outcomes. The findings demonstrate that Cognitive Restoration Therapy is effective in reducing alexithymia and improving sleep regulation in chronic pain patients, with treatment effects maintained at five-month follow-up. This intervention can serve as a valuable complementary approach within multidisciplinary chronic pain management programs.
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