Effect of Online Compassion-focused Therapy on the Symptoms severity, Post-traumatic Growth, Quality of Life, and Hippocampal and Amygdala Volume in Patients recovered from COVID-19

authors:

avatar Fatemeh Modaresifard 1 , avatar Majid Barzegar 1 , * , avatar Seyed Mohsen Zamir 2 , avatar Ali Kamkar 3

Department of Psychology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran.
Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, Iran.
Department of Psychology, Zand Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz, Iran.
Journal of Inflammatory Diseases: Vol.27, issue 1; e156340
article type: issue_documents_importer

how to cite: Modaresifard F, Barzegar M, Zamir S M , Kamkar A. Effect of Online Compassion-focused Therapy on the Symptoms severity, Post-traumatic Growth, Quality of Life, and Hippocampal and Amygdala Volume in Patients recovered from COVID-19. J Inflamm Dis. 2023;27(1):e156340. 

Abstract

Introduction: Acute epidemics and physical risks have severe adverse psychological effects on post covid patients. Most importantly, COVID-19 survivors who experience fear of survival are vulnerable to post-traumatic stress symptoms. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of online compassion-focused therapy in reducing the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms, increasing post-traumatic growth, improving quality of life and studying the changes in hippocampus and amygdala volume in recovered patients infected with the coronavirus in Shiraz, Iran and in It was done in 1401. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted between May 2021 and July 2022 among patients with the delta variant of COVID -19, in Shiraz, Iran. The statistical population included 40 patients with the delta variant (COVID -19) diagnosed with post-traumatic stress symptoms, who were purposefully sampled in the experimental groups (20 people) and control groups (20 people). They responded to Tedeschi and Calhoun's post-traumatic growth and development questionnaire, the PCL-5 post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire, and the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire-short form. We measured the volumes of the hippocampus and corpus amygdaloideum (amygdaloid body). The 1.5 T MRI was taken in oblique coronal plane using a section thickness of 3 mm, without any gap. We also investigated right-left volume differences in the hippocampus and the corpus amygdaloideum. For data analysis, multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance, mean and standard deviation were used. Results: Self-compassion psychotherapy significantly quality of life (p<0.001, F=30.675), post-traumatic growth (p<0.001, F=62.548) and reduced post-traumatic stress (F=103.335, p<0.001). In addition, the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala in the compassionate therapy group increased in the post-test phase (F=21.995, p<0.001). Conclusion: Self-compassion therapy can have positive effects on post-traumatic patients and lead to post traumatic growth. As these psychological treatments do not involve physical risks, special emphasis can be placed on the use of this treatment in clinics.

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