The Effects of Emotional Schema Therapy and Differentiation Training on Emotional Divorce in Women

Background: Emotional Divorce (ED) is associated with decreased levels of Emotion Regulation (ER), adaptation, and mental health; subsequently, all such pressures raise stress in various dimensions among the affected individuals. Emotional Schema Therapy (EST), as a socio-cognitive model of ER, may improve marital intimacy and reduce couples’ psychological distress. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of EST and differentiation training on the odds of ED among women. Methods: The mean values of ED significantly decreased in both experimental groups, compared to the control group (P<0.05). A significant difference was also observed between the effects of the two interventions on decreasing the ED rate; thus, the effectiveness of EST was greater than that of differentiation training in this respect (P<0.05). Results: The mean values of ED significantly decreased in both experimental groups, compared to the control group (P<0.05). A significant difference was also observed between the effects of the two interventions on decreasing the ED rate; thus, the effectiveness of EST was greater than that of differentiation training in this respect (P<0.05). Conclusion: EST and differentiation training reduced ED among the study participants. These approaches can be adopted as an effective intervention to solve the couples’ problems and improve their marital relationship to reduce the odds of emotional divorce.

Effects of Emotionally-focused Couples Therapy on the Marital Intimacy and Harmony of Maladjusted Couples in Behbahan, Iran

Background: Dissatisfaction with marital relations and an emotional breach between couples increase the risk of divorce. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of emotionally-focused couples therapy on the marital intimacy and harmony of maladjusted couples in Behbahan, Iran. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The sample population included the maladjusted couples vising the counseling centers in Behbahan in 2020. Via convenience sampling, 30 couples were selected and randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control (n = 15 couples per group). Data were collected using the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships and the Marital Harmony Questionnaire. The experimental group received nine sessions of emotionally-focused couples therapy (90-minute sessions, twice a week), and the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 25. Results: The mean posttest scores of marital intimacy and harmony were 115.63 ± 10.22 and 31.66 ± 2.21 in the experimental group and 91.39 ± 9.04 and 22.93 ± 2.19 in the control group, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of marital intimacy and harmony (P < 0.001). In addition, emotionally-focused couples therapy significantly enhanced marital intimacy and harmony in the experimental group. Conclusions: According to the results, emotionally-focused couples therapy could effectively improve the marital indicators of the maladjusted couples (intimacy and harmony).

Mediators for Effect of Mindfulness in Promoting Marital Satisfaction: Modeling Structural Equations in an Experimental Study

Objective: The present study evaluated the model of mediating variables concerning effectiveness of mindfulness in improving women's marital satisfaction. Method: This study was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control groups. The statistical population included every married woman in Tehran in the year 1396 (2017). The research sample was composed of 60 married women with moderate marital satisfaction. They were chosen using the convenient sampling technique and were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group attended 8 sessions of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and the control group was on a waiting list. Both groups answered the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Interpersonal Reactivity Inventory (IRI), Needs for Intimacy Questionnaire of Bagarozi, Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and the Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI) before and at end of intervention. The data were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using PLS-22 and SPSS-23. Results: In the initial hypothetical model, which included the direct effect of mindfulness on marital satisfaction and its indirect effects through psychological distress, emotion regulation, empathy, marital intimacy and positive emotion on marital satisfaction, coefficients of all model paths were significant at 95% level except direct path of mindfulness to marital satisfaction (t = 1.14), marital intimacy to marital satisfaction (t = 0.48) and positive affection to marital satisfaction (t = 1.75). After removing the non-significant paths, the model was tested again and the model fit index (GOF = 0.47) was a very good fit for the modified overall model. Conclusion: The results identified mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention was effective in enhancing marital satisfaction through reducing psychological distress and improving emotion regulation and empathy.

A Review of Issues Concerning the Support for Fathers During Pregnancy: Research Trends in Japan

Objective: To identify future issues in the development and implementation of support programs for fathers with the aim of preventing child abuse, we reviewed the domestic literature to determine the characteristics of support for fathers during pregnancy and identify research trends.Methods: The domestic literature was searched on January 31, 2021, using the Central Journal of Medicine ver. 5.0. The search yielded 110 original articles and nursing literature using the keywords “pregnancy & father” and “pregnancy & husband,” wherein 100 articles with abstracts were found, excluding conference proceedings. The abstracts were then checked, and finally, 27 were included in this analysis.Results: In the articles collected, the following themes were extracted: “satisfaction from the experience of child-rearing skills from pregnancy,” “relationship between marital intimacy and relationship to mother and child from pregnancy,” “role adjustment between work and home from pregnancy,” and “vague imagination and anxiety from pregnancy.”Conclusion: During pregnancy, the deepening of the relationship between the mother and father, who is still adjusting to become a father, can affect the quality of the relationship between the mother and the child. Thus, the challenge is to develop support programs that will further strengthen the relationship between the husband and wife.

Quality of Marital Relationship and Sexual Interaction in Couples With Sexual Dysfunction: An Exploratory Study From India

Background: Sexual dysfunction and marital intimacy and quality are found to have a reciprocal relationship. Examining this relationship in couples seeking help for sexual dysfunctions in the cultural context of India is worthwhile. Aim: This study aims to explore the nature of sexual functioning, sexual interaction, sexual communication, and marital intimacy and quality in couples with sexual dysfunction. Further, relationship between the above variables is also examined. Methods: A cross-sectional, single-group exploratory design was adopted. A sample of 155 married heterosexual individuals, with a clinical diagnosis of sexual dysfunction in either of the spouses, was included in the study. The tools used included MINI neuropsychiatric interview, Marital Quality Scale, Marital Intimacy Questionnaire, Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale, and Sexual Interaction Inventory. Results: Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men and hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women were the most common sexual dysfunctions. Majority of the sample were young adults. About 82% of the sample had moderate-to-severe levels of marital distress. Mood disorder was the most common psychiatric disorder reported in the sample. High levels of intimacy problems were seen with no significant gender differences in the overall marital quality or intimacy. Difficulty in the overall sexual interactions was found; however, higher levels of dissatisfaction with the frequency of sex and lower self-acceptance was reported by men compared to women. Significant interrelationships were found between marital quality and intimacy, sexual interaction, and sexual communication. Conclusions: Sexual dysfunctions and marital distress are closely related. Sexual interaction and sexual communication play a significant role in marital quality and intimacy.

Causes and Consequences of Early marriage and the Occurrence of Child Marriage in Female Students in Yazd Province: Grounded Theory Study

Introduction: Among the threats that change the family structure are early marriage and the phenomenon of child marriage. The World Health Organization considers early marriage as the marriage under the age of eighteen. Due to the importance of this issue, this study aimed to examine the causes and consequences of early marriage and the occurrence of child marriage in female students of Yazd province. Method: This qualitative study was conducted based on the grounded theory. The research environment included all divorced female high school students in the academic year of 209-2010 in Yazd province. Of the participants and based on theoretical, targeted, and snowball sampling, in-depth semi-structural interviews were conducted on them and until the theoretical saturation was reached, 11 people were finally selected. Result: The data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin method with three steps of open, axial, and selective coding. Finally, from open coding 550 initial concepts, from axial coding 27 categories, and finally 8 main categories were extracted. The main categories included lack of communication, irresponsibility, lack of marital intimacy, lack of socio-moral maturity, psychological turmoil, risks and consequences of divorce, academic challenges and interpersonal problems. Conclusion: The results showed that early marriage has many disadvantages, including divorce. Communication problems were at the top of students' problems at the time of marriage. This lack of communication leads to problems, such as marital intimacy, interference of others, educational problems, and sometimes infidelity.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Contextual Therapy fair- centered and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Marital Intimacy and Marital Burnout among Couples

The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of Contextual Therapy fair-centered (CT) (based on Ivan Böszörményi-Nagy) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) on increasing Marital Intimacy and reducing Marital Burnout in couples. The method was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all couples who in 2017-2018 referred to the Sanam private office of counseling and psychological services (under the supervision of the Psychology and Counseling Organization of Iran) in the city of Urmia. Among them, 24 couples who have referred to this center due to marital conflicts, after matching the subjects and the criteria for entering and leaving the research, were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to three groups (Eight pairs in each group), which are two experimental groups and one control group. After performing the pretest, the Contextual Therapy group were performed 10 sessions and Emotion-Focused Therapy was 9 for each pair. The questionnaires used included Walker and Thompson's intimacy scale and Pines 's Burnout Scale. To analyze the data and hypotheses, the statistical test method of “repeated measurement variance analysis” and SPSS software were used. Findings showed that the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy in increasing intimacy was significantly (p < 0.001) than the Contextual. But there is no significant difference between the two approaches in reducing “marital boredom”, Also, the findings showed that, over time, the effectiveness of the Contextual Therapy approach to the Emotion-Focused Therapy in “marital burnout” is more stable. Conclusion: In comparison Emotion-Focused Therapy a more effective effect in increasing intimacy and the effectiveness of the two approaches in reducing marital burnout is the same,but in the long run, the Contextual approach has shown better therapeutic stability in improving Marital burnout.