The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Marital Burnout and Social Anxiety in Married Women with Family Problems
Keywords:
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, marital burnout, social anxiety, family problems, married womenAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on marital burnout and social anxiety among married women with family problems.
Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test–post-test structure including an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population consisted of married women with family problems who referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2024. Using convenience sampling, 30 participants who obtained high scores on the marital burnout and social anxiety questionnaires were selected and randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Data collection instruments included the Pines Couple Burnout Measure (CBM) and the Social Anxiety Scale. The experimental group participated in eight 2-hour sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.
Finding: The results of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test confirmed the normal distribution of the data (p > .05). The findings of univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated that, after controlling for pre-test scores, the effect of group membership on post-test marital burnout scores was significant (F = 32.78, p = .001, η² = .59). In addition, the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on post-test social anxiety scores was significant (F = 38.14, p = .001, η² = .56). The results indicated that participants in the experimental group showed significantly lower levels of marital burnout and social anxiety compared to the control group after the intervention.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is effective in reducing marital burnout and social anxiety among married women with family problems.
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References
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