Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamics in Controlling the Emotions of Married Women

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of intensive short-term psychodynamics in controlling the emotions of married women who visited counseling centers in Isfahan. Method: The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of couples who visited Aban, Aeen, and Milad Noor counseling centers in Isfahan in 2016. Using the convenience and purposive sampling method, we selected 30 individuals and randomly assigned them to experimental and control groups (15 individuals in the experimental group and 15 in the control group). The experimental group participated in fifteen 60-minute psychodynamics therapy sessions, but none of the control group members participated in psychodynamics therapy sessions. The Emotional Control Questionnaire by Williams (1997) was the research instrument. We analyzed data by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results indicated that intensive short-term psychodynamics decreased scores of emotional control (F= 20.23, P= 0.001), and anger (F= 37.68, P= 0.001), anxiety (F= 12.64, P= 0.002), depressed mood (F= 20.88, P= 0.001), and increased positive emotion (F= 10.93, P= 0.003) in women. Conclusion: According to the results, the intensive short-term psychodynamics intervention led to improvement and control of emotions in women.