The Effectiveness of Group Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy in Improving the Quality of Marital Relationships, Marital Intimacy, and Marital Depression of Women Affected by Infidelity

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral couple therapy on the quality of marital relationships, marital intimacy, and marital depression of women affected by infidelity. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of women affected by infidelity who visited Zharfa Counseling Center in Kermanshah. After screening, 30 women were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental (n=15), and control (n=15) groups. The research tools included the Busby's Marital Quality Questionnaire (1995), the Marital Intimacy Scale by Thompson and Walker (1983), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (1961). The experimental group underwent the group intervention of Halford's Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy (2005) for ten sessions. Data were analyzed using the repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: The results indicated that cognitive-behavioral couple therapy intervention was effective in improving the quality of marital relationships (F=29.11, P=0.001), marital intimacy (F=7.13, P=0.013), and marital depression (F=15.72, P=0.001), and the effect was stable in the follow-up phase. Conclusion: It was found that group cognitive-behavioral couple therapy was effective in improving the quality of marital relationships of women affected by infidelity in Kermanshah; hence, cognitive-behavioral couple therapy can be used to reduce marital depression in women affected by infidelity, and ultimately strengthen the family.