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Cited by 50Psychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsPersonality Disorders and PsychopathologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Effects of DBT-Based Interventions on Alexithymia: A Systematic Review

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Salles, Bruno M., Maturana de Souza, Wayson, dos Santos, Veruska Andrea, Mograbi, Daniel C.·2023·Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
DOI 10.1080/16506073.2022.2117734
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Abstract

While dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) appears effective for some psychiatric conditions commonly associated with alexithymia, it is unclear whether DBT improves difficulties experienced by alexithymic individuals. This review investigated the current evidence on the effectiveness of DBT-based interventions in improving alexithymia. A qualitative synthesis of studies that investigated the efficacy of DBT on self-reported alexithymia was performed, identifying eligible studies using EBSCO/Essentials, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychINFO databases. Eight studies were identified. Overall, the results were inconclusive due to the heterogeneity of the studies but suggest that DBT-based interventions may be associated with self-reported decreases in alexithymia and increases in the ability to identify emotional states. The literature is limited by significant methodological problems, such as the low number of controlled trials, small samples, and high variability between DBT programs, which increases the risk of bias across study outcomes. More research is needed to reach conclusions regarding the effectiveness of DBT in improving alexithymia. Future studies should conduct randomized controlled trial designs (primarily with active treatment control conditions), greater standardization of DBT-based interventions, and a more in-depth examination of the level of participant involvement in long-term DBT-based interventions may help to understand whether DBT improves alexithymia difficulties.

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Crossref · 10.1080/16506073.2022.2117734

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  • We found two systematic reviews on interventional studies of psychological therapy, but they are only thematized on dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based interventions.

    “We found two systematic reviews on interventional studies of psychological therapy [35,36], but they are only thematized on dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based interventions.”

    From Psychological Treatments for Alexithymia: A Systematic Review (2024) · cites this paper as [35]

  • The review excluded non-psychological studies and mindfulness and DBT because there were already systematic reviews on such therapies improving alexithymia.

    “We excluded non-psychological studies and also mindfulness and DBT since there were already systematic reviews on such therapies improving alexithymia [35,36].”

    From Psychological Treatments for Alexithymia: A Systematic Review (2024) · cites this paper as [35]

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Authors
Salles, B. M., Maturana de Souza, W., dos Santos, V. A., & Mograbi, D. C.
Affiliations
  • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
  • Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • King's College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Mograbi, Daniel C.
ORCID
Venue
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2022-11-25
Volume
52
Issue
2
Pages
110-131
ISSN
  • 1650-6073 (ISSN-L)
  • 1651-2316
DOI
10.1080/16506073.2022.2117734
OpenAlex
W4309937932
Cited by
50
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 7
FWCI
1.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • CAPES
  • CNPQ
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
dialectical behavior therapy, alexithymia, emotional awareness, emotional identification, treatment efficacy, mental illness
MeSH terms
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Affective Symptoms, Mental Disorders, Emotions, Humans, Psychotherapy

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