The Effect of Emotion Regulation Training on the Levels of Alexithymia in Nursing College Students

This study aimed to reduce alexithymia levels in nursing students with emotion regulation training based on a cognitive behavioral approach. The study was conducted with 74 nursing students, 37 in the intervention group and 37 in the control group, studying at a foundation university in the 2023-2024 academic year. The study data were collected using the data collection form and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20). Data collection tools were applied three times as pre-post and follow-up tests. Male and female students who met the inclusion criteria of the study were determined by using the pre-test of the population. For the sample group to represent the population, students with high levels of alexithymia were identified by stratification by determining the class and gender ratios. Then, students were assigned to intervention and control groups by randomization. The 7-session training program prepared for the students in the intervention group was applied. No intervention was made to the control group during the implementation. After the training sessions were completed, post-test data were collected. Follow-up measurements were made three months later.