Improving Alexithymia in Adults with ADHD: Comparing Metacognitive and Transdiagnostic Therapies
Keywords:
Alexithymia, Adults, ADHD, Metacognitive Therapy, Transdiagnostic TherapyAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Metacognitive and Transdiagnostic Therapies in alexithymia in Adults with ADHD.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group structure aimed at assessing the effects of two interventions on adults with ADHD symptoms. The population included all adults with diagnosed ADHD symptoms in 2024, referred from psychology and psychiatric centers in Damavand city. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. A sample of 48 patients was selected and randomly divided into intervention (MCT, n = 17), (MDT, n = 16), and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental groups underwent eight (MCT) sessions and ten (MDT) sessions (90-minute sessions per week), and the control group did not receive any intervention. The research instruments included the S-ADHD (Connors et al., 2012) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Bagby et al.,1997). Univariate and multivariate analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests were conducted using SPSS-27.
Findings: findings showed a statistically significant difference between the control group and both treatment groups—metacognitive and transdiagnostic therapy—in reducing levels of alexithymia (P < 0.001). This indicates that both therapies were effective in improving alexithymia compared to no treatment. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the two active treatment groups themselves (P < 0.05). Specifically, the transdiagnostic therapy group exhibited a greater reduction in alexithymia scores, with a mean difference of -4.85, indicating a more substantial effect on emotional awareness among adults with ADHD symptoms.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that both metacognitive and transdiagnostic therapies significantly reduce levels of alexithymia in adults with ADHD symptoms. However, transdiagnostic therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness compared to metacognitive therapy. The improvements observed with both approaches help participants develop a more profound and accurate understanding of their mental states, which, in turn, enhances their ability to regulate social interactions and effectively manage their emotions.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam Sadeghi Fard (Author); Hossein Ebrahimi Moghaddam; Shahram Nematzadeh (Author)
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