The Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Patients: The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy on Post- Traumatic Stress and Depression

At the end of 2019, the world faced a phenomenon that plunged all human beings into extreme fear and anxiety. A new type of coronavirus began to spread among people around the world, and this was the beginning of one of the greatest pandemics and its problems in the world.

The present study aimed to study the effect of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) on reducing post-traumatic stress and depression among Covid-19 patients. The statistical population was all English language students at the University of Tehran who had recovered from Covid-19. A total of three students (with a mean age of 22±2 years old) were selected from those who had recovered from Covid-19 using convenience sampling.

The data were analyzed using visual inspection, Reliable Change Index (RCI), and percentage change formula. The results of the study indicated that the mean improvement of post-traumatic stress variable for the three patients in the post-treatment and follow-up was 42.39% and 41.54%, respectively. Additionally, this value for the depression variable was 60.78 and 60.22% in the post-treatment and the follow-up.

Based on the results of the study, EFT was effective on post-traumatic stress and depression in students infected with Covid-19. Therefore, it is recommended to use this treatment to reduce post-traumatic stress and depression in patients with Covid-19.