# Effects of combining Shugan Jieyu capsule treatment with group psychological counseling on alexithymia in hemodialysis patients

## TL;DR

Combining Shugan Jieyu capsules with group counseling improves mental health and quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel combination of pharmacological and psychological interventions for hemodialysis patients with alexithymia.

## Key findings

- The study group showed significant improvement in alexithymia, anxiety, and depression scores.
- Serum levels of orphanin FQ and interleukin-2 were significantly lower in the study group.
- Patients in the study group reported better sleep quality and higher nursing satisfaction.

## Abstract

To explore the effects of combining Shugan Jieyu capsule treatment with group psychological counseling on alexithymia in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

A total of 120 patients with nephropathy who underwent hemodialysis at our hospital’s dialysis center from January 2023 to December 2024 were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into the control and study groups. The control group received estazolam treatment with routine nursing, whereas the study group received the Shugan Jieyu capsule along with group psychological counseling in addition to estazolam treatment and routine nursing. Various parameters were then measured and compared between the two groups, including alexithymia, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, personal and social performances, self-care ability, quality of life, serum levels of orphanin FQ and interleukin-2, incidence of adverse reactions, and nursing satisfaction.

At both 4 and 8 weeks post-intervention, all measured parameters improved significantly from the baseline in both groups (p < 0.05). Importantly, the study group demonstrated better outcomes than the control group, including significantly lower scores for alexithymia, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality as well as higher scores for personal and social performances, self-care ability, and quality of life. Additionally, the serum levels of orphanin FQ and interleukin-2 were significantly lower in the study group (p < 0.05).

Shugan Jieyu capsule treatment combined with group psychological counseling was shown to effectively alleviate alexithymia, anxiety, and depression; improve sleep quality; reduce serum levels of orphanin FQ and interleukin-2; and enhance personal and social performances, self-care ability, quality of life, and nursing satisfaction in hemodialysis patients.