Community Health Journal

Community Health Journal

Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-behavioral Couple Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy On Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Of Couples With Emotional Divorce

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
N gobadi kahnamoue 1
Masomeh Azmoudeh 2
KH Esmaielpour 3
R SakenAzari 4
1 Ph.D Student, Department of Psychology, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
2 Department of Psychology, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
4 Professor, Department of Psychology, Sarab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sarab, Iran.
10.22123/chj.2024.389350.2003
Abstract
Introduction: Considering that the category of stability of marriage and reduction of marital problems is important for ensuring the mental health of the family and society, identifying therapeutic interventions that are effective in reducing these problems is very important from a theoretical and clinical point of view. This study aims to compare the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) and emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT) on interpersonal emotion regulation of couples with emotional divorce.
Materials and Methods: The method of this study was semi-experimental with pre-test- post-test with the control group. The statistical population was formed by couples who referred to Tabriz counseling centers in 2022. In total, 54 people (27 couples) were selected by the purposeful sampling method and randomly (by drawing lots by throwing dice) divided into three groups (9 couples in each group). Members of both experimental groups received their treatment, respectively, in 8 and 10 sessions of 1.5 hours; however, the control group did not receive any treatment. The measurement tools were Hoffman et al.'s interpersonal emotion regulation questionnaires and Gottman's emotional divorce. Data were analyzed by analysis of covariance and bonferroni's post hoc test.
Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that cognitive-behavioral couple therapy 55.39±4.64 and emotion focused couple therapy 55.94±5.03 compared to the control group 43.33±4.56, increased interpersonal emotion regulation in couples after the test (p<0.001).  The effect of these two treatments on increased interpersonal emotion regulation at posttest was not different (p>0.05).
Conclusion: It seems that cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and emotion-oriented couple therapy can increase the interpersonal emotion regulation of couples, so they can probably be a useful therapeutic strategy for improving couples' relationships.
Keywords
Couple Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Emotion Regulation
Divorce
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Community Health Journal
Volume 18, Issue 1
Summer 2024
Pages 11-21