The Comparison Effectiveness Wisdom-Focused Couple Therapy with Emotional-Focused Couple Therapy on Sense of Coherence in Couples with Marital Conflicts

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Student, Department of Counseling, Aras International Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid BeheshtiUniversity, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: This research aims to compare the effectiveness of wisdom-focused couple therapy with emotion-focused couple therapy in enhancing the sense of coherence among couples experiencing marital conflicts.
Method: This study employed a semi-experimental design featuring pre-test and post-test assessments, along with a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all couples experiencing marital conflicts who sought assistance at the Maks, Behrozan, and Behsa counseling centers in Tehran during the summer and fall of 2023. In the initial stage, 24 couples with scores of 115 or higher on the marital conflict questionnaire were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (each consisting of 8 couples) and one control group (also comprising 8 couples). The experimental groups participated in wisdom-focused couple therapy and emotion-focused couple therapy, while the control group received no therapy and remained on a waiting list. Data collection involved the use of the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ) and the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOCQ). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-28 software, employing analysis of variance with repeated measures and the Bonferroni test.
Results: The results indicated that both wisdom-focused couple therapy and emotion-focused couple therapy had a significant effect on comprehensibility (F = 33.83, p < 0.001), manageability (F = 39.58, p < 0.001), meaning  (F = 23.65, p < 0.001), and the overall score of sense of coherence (F = 102.11, p < 0.001) among couples experiencing marital conflicts (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the results of the Bonferroni post hoc test demonstrated that emotion-focused couple therapy is more effective (p < 0.05).
Discussion and conclusion: Based on this, it can be concluded that, in addition to the effectiveness of both therapies, the priority for use in the treatment of couples with marital conflicts should be given to emotion-focused couple therapy.


Keywords

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