The Effectiveness of Behavioral-Communication Couple Therapy in Improving Marital Conflict and Family Functioning

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of behavioral-communication couple therapy in improving marital conflict and family functioning of couples in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population consisted of couples who visited a counseling center in Ahvaz. Among them, we selected 30 couples using convenience sampling according to the citation and assigned them randomly into two experimental groups and a control group. We used the marital conflict and Family Assessment Device (FAD) by McMaster to collect data. An experimental group received a behavioral-communication couple therapy approach in eight 2-hour sessions and the other group did not receive any treatment, and we performed the post-test after the treatment program. We analyzed data using the univariate and multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results indicated that behavioral-communication couple therapy was effective in reducing marital conflict (P=0.001, F=82.86) and family functioning (P=0.001, F=37.37). Results: The results indicated that the behavioral-communication couple therapy was effective in reducing marital conflicts; hence, we suggest holding sessions based on the enrichment of couples' relationships to prevent and resolve marital problems in counseling centers.