The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy on Catastrophizing and Mental Well-being in People Recovered from COVID-19

Abstract The corona virus epidemic was a sudden and destructive event that led to many deaths. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on catastrophizing and mental well-being in people who have recovered from COVID-19.Research The research was a two-group semi-experimental research (experimental and control) with three stages (pre-test, post-test and three-month follow-up). The statistical population included all those who recovered from COVID-19 and were discharged from Imam Reza hospital in Mashhad in the first quarter of 2021. Out of this population, 30 people were selected using the convenient sampling method based on the purpose and using the inclusion criteria, and were randomly placed in two groups of 15 (experimental and control). The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of emotion-focused therapy, while the control group did not receive training. The research tools included Sullivan’s Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Keyes and Magyar-Moe’s Subjective Well-Being Questionnaire, which were administered to the participants in both groups in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up phases. Data analysis was done using repeated measure ANOVA using SPSS-22. Results showed that the mean catastrophizing scores of the experimental group compared to that of control group decreased significantly in the post-test phase (P<0.001). Also, the average mental well-being scores of the experimental group compared to that of the control group increased significantly in the post-test phase (P<0.001). These results remained stable in the follow-up phase. Based on the results, it can be concluded that emotion-focused therapy can be considered an effective intervention method in reducing catastrophizing and improving mental well-being in people who have recovered from COVID-19.