Maryam Mardani

Background: Alexithymia, defined as difficulty in identifying and expressing feelings, is a common psychological problem among patients undergoing cancer treatment. White blood cell (WBC) counts may also decrease during treatment, creating additional clinical challenges. Objectives: This study evaluated whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) could reduce alexithymic symptoms and modify WBC counts in women with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included pretest, posttest, and 1-month follow-up assessments, as well as a control group. Participants were randomly assigned to either an ACT group or a control group that continued standard medical care without additional psychological support. The study population comprised women with breast cancer who were referred to Baqaei Super-Specialty Hospital and a specialized cancer treatment center in Ahvaz during the 2025 - 2026 calendar year. The sample size was determined to be 42 participants using G*Power software. Study instruments included an alexithymia questionnaire and a complete blood count test. The psychotherapeutic intervention was ACT. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods, particularly mixed analysis of variance, in SPSS version 25. Before conducting repeated-measures analysis of variance, key statistical assumptions were evaluated. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality, and Mauchly's test was used to evaluate the sphericity assumption. Results: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy effectively reduced alexithymia levels, and this reduction was maintained over time. However, the observed changes in WBC counts did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ACT may reduce alexithymia in female patients with cancer by addressing disease-related emotional difficulties. Understanding this effect may help improve care and support programs for individuals undergoing cancer treatment.

Objective(s): Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) remains a significant challenge for cancer survivors, persisting even after treatment and partial recovery. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Paradox Therapy (PTC) in reducing FCR and its trajectory over time in female cancer patients. Methods: This clinical trial employed an experimental pre-test, ...

Background: Marital satisfaction is one of the main factors affecting the quality of life in marital relationships. It refers to individuals’ positive attitudes toward their marital relationship, and marital dissatisfaction is a negative and displeased attitude toward various aspects of marital relationship. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the causal relationship between attachment styles and marital satisfaction regarding the mediating role of Gottman’s marital communication model. Methods: The statistical population encompassed all university students in Ahvaz in the academic year 2019 - 2020. The multi-stage random sampling method was used, and 230 persons were selected as the study samples. Hudson's Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), Coolins and Reed's Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Gottman's Communication Skills Scale (FHS) were also used to collect the data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26 and AMOS software version 24. Results: The results indicated that the study model well-fitted the study population, and all direct paths were statistically significant. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between secure attachment, anxiety-insecure attachment, and avoidance-insecure attachment with marital satisfaction mediated by Gottman's communication skills (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Given the effect of Gottman’s couple attachment styles and four communication skills on marital satisfaction, their effectiveness in marital satisfaction is proved. Accordingly, therapists are recommended to implement educational and treatment programs containing cognitive and preventive attachment styles and Gottman’s communication skills to promote couples' marital satisfaction.