Examining the Effectiveness of Couple Therapy Based on Positive Psychology and Religious Spirituality on Marital Satisfaction and Marital Adjustment
Keywords:
Couple therapy based on positive psychology and religious spirituality, marital satisfaction, marital adjustmentAbstract
The objective of the present study was to examine and compare the effectiveness of positive psychology–based couple therapy and religious spirituality–based couple therapy on marital satisfaction and marital adjustment among married couples. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest and a control group. The statistical population consisted of married couples referring to psychology clinics in Bushehr, from whom 45 participants were selected through voluntary sampling and assigned to experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental groups received either positive psychology–based couple therapy or religious spirituality–based couple therapy across six structured sessions, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, applying descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests for normality, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) while controlling for pretest scores. Inferential analyses indicated statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups on posttest scores of all components of marital satisfaction, including personality issues, marital communication, conflict resolution, financial management, leisure activities, sexual relationship, marriage and children, relatives and friends, and religious orientation (p < 0.05). In addition, significant improvements were observed in marital adjustment components—marital satisfaction, dyadic cohesion, dyadic consensus, and affectional expression—in the experimental groups compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Effect sizes ranged from moderate to large, indicating substantial intervention effects. The findings demonstrate that both positive psychology–based and religious spirituality–based couple therapy are effective in enhancing marital satisfaction and marital adjustment, suggesting that strength-based psychological and spiritually integrated interventions can meaningfully improve the quality and functioning of marital relationships.
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