Comparing the Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy and Logotherapy in Reducing Feelings of Emptiness Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Mehraneh  Gharehguzlu; Javad Khalatbari; Farhad  Jomehri; Rozita Haji Bagher Naeeni

Authors

Mehraneh Gharehguzlu Department of Psychology, UAE.C., Islamic Azad University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6343-2253
Javad Khalatbari Department of Psychology, To.C., Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran. Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9519-9686
Farhad Jomehri Department of Psychology, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3925-5399
Rozita Haji Bagher Naeeni Department of Neurology, TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2071-943X

Keywords:

Compassion-Focused Therapy, Feelings of Emptiness, Logotherapy, Multiple Sclerosis, Psychological Intervention

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy and logotherapy in reducing feelings of emptiness among women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control-group design with a six-month follow-up. The statistical population comprised all female patients with multiple sclerosis who attended hospitals affiliated with Islamic Azad University in Tehran between September 2025 and March 2026. Using purposive sampling, 45 eligible patients were selected and randomly assigned to compassion-focused therapy, logotherapy, and control groups, with 15 participants in each group. Data were collected using Reker’s Life Attitude Profile (1992). The intervention groups received compassion-focused therapy based on Gilbert’s protocol and logotherapy based on Frankl’s approach and the protocol developed by Bahaeloo Horeh and Khosh Akhlagh, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Assessments were conducted at the pretest, posttest, and six-month follow-up stages. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and mixed-design analysis of variance in SPSS version 26.

Findings: Mixed-design analysis of variance indicated significant effects of time, group, and the time-by-group interaction on feelings of emptiness (p < .05). Both compassion-focused therapy and logotherapy produced significant reductions in feelings of emptiness from pretest to posttest compared with the control group. Pairwise comparisons further demonstrated that logotherapy resulted in a significantly greater reduction in feelings of emptiness than compassion-focused therapy (p < .05).

Conclusion: Both compassion-focused therapy and logotherapy are effective psychological interventions for reducing feelings of emptiness among women with multiple sclerosis, although logotherapy appears to produce stronger and more persistent therapeutic effects. Logotherapy may therefore be prioritized in psychological rehabilitation programs designed to improve existential well-being in this clinical population.

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