The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on improving psychological capital and reducing alexithymia in cardiovascular patients

یاقوتی, شراره; شکیباراد, عاطفه

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Volume 3, Issue 3 (12-2025)

Health Res Develop 2025, 3(3): 10-21

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The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on improving psychological capital and reducing alexithymia in cardiovascular patients

شراره یاقوتی

, عاطفه شکیباراد ^*¹

1- & Atefeh Shakibarad Department of Clinical Psychology, SR.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran , atefeh.shakibarad@iau.ac.ir

Abstract: (154 Views)

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problems worldwide, which is a major threat to the physical and psychological health of people with this disease. Therefore, since physical and mental health are related to each other, these patients need to receive effective psychological interventions with a positive approach. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy training on psychological capital and alexithymia in cardiovascular patients.
Materials: The study is a semi-experimental one with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all people with cardiovascular disease who referred to the surgical department of Tehran Heart Center Hospital in the third quarter of 2024. Among these patients, 30 people were selected conveniently and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). To collect data, the psychological capital questionnaire of Luthans et al. (2007) and the alexithymia scale of Bagby et al (1994) were used. The experimental group received 14 45-minute sessions of positive psychotherapy training. The collected data were analyzed by analysis of covariance using SPSS version 23 software.
Results: The mean psychological capital of the experimental group increased from 2.46 to 2.88 after the intervention, whereas no significant change was observed in the control group. Analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference between the two groups (F = 6.91, p < 0.001, η² = 0.37). Additionally, the mean score of alexithymia in the experimental group decreased from 3.24 to 3.02, and the difference between groups was also significant (F = 3.41, p = 0.001, η² = 0.23).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that positive psychotherapy training can be used as an effective intervention by prevention and health professionals to reduce psychological and physical problems in cardiovascular patients.

Keywords: Positive psychotherapy, Psychological capital, Alexithymia, Cardiovascular patients

Full-Text [PDF 1445 kb] (36 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/05/6 | Accepted: 2025/07/21 | Published: 2025/08/30

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یاقوتی ش, شکیباراد ع. (2025). The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on improving psychological capital and reducing alexithymia in cardiovascular patients. Health Res Develop. 3(3), 10-21.
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