KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Psychology of Woman Journal 3041-8615 In Press 2027 07 01 Effectiveness of Group Narrative Therapy on Hope, Marital Forgiveness, and Marital Intimacy in Women Affected by Marital Infidelity Effectiveness of Group Narrative Therapy on Hope, Marital Forgiveness, and Marital Intimacy in Women Affected by Marital Infidelity 1 16 EN Journal Article 2026 06 23 <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group narrative therapy in improving hope, marital forgiveness, and marital intimacy among women affected by marital infidelity.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials: </strong>This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control-group design with a three-month follow-up. Participants were 30 women affected by marital infidelity who attended counseling centers in District 5 of Tehran, Iran, in 2025. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to a group narrative therapy condition (n = 15) or a control condition (n = 15). The intervention consisted of ten weekly 90-minute group narrative therapy sessions based on the narrative approach of White and Epston. Data were collected using the Miller Hope Scale, Marital Offence-Specific Forgiveness Scale, and Marital Intimacy Needs Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analyses and Bonferroni-adjusted comparisons.</p> <p><strong>Findings: </strong>Group narrative therapy significantly improved all primary outcomes compared with the control condition. Significant between-group differences were observed for hope (mean difference = 8.48, p = .001), total marital forgiveness (mean difference = 9.40, p = .001), and total marital intimacy (mean difference = 19.60, p = .001). Improvements were also evident across the dimensions of marital forgiveness and marital intimacy. The pattern of follow-up scores indicated that treatment gains were largely maintained three months after the intervention.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Group narrative therapy appears to be an effective intervention for enhancing hope, marital forgiveness, and marital intimacy among women affected by marital infidelity. The intervention may facilitate both psychological and relational recovery by promoting meaning reconstruction, personal agency, and alternative narratives following betrayal.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/psywoman/article/download/6105/11766