Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Abstract
Background & objectives: Parents are the first role models for children. Thus, paying attention to family institution is essential. This research aims to design and evaluate the impact of family–based psychological intervention on strengthening the appeals of marriage in parents and their daughter’s spiritual vitality, educational performance, and attitude toward marriage.
Methods: The current research was quasi–experimental, employing a pretest–posttest and follow–up design. The study’s statistical population included all secondary school female students and their parents living in Tehran City, Iran, during the 2021–2022 academic year. Five girl high schools of education districts 1, 2, 5, 9, 18 of Tehran were randomly selected. From the students of these schools, 60 eligible students (who scored less than 120 on the educational performance scale and less than 150 on the spiritual vitality scale) were randomly selected as the research samples. Parents of 30 students in the experimental group were taught a family–based psychological program. The program was delivered in ten 120–minute sessions. The control group did not undergo any intervention. A follow–up test was performed one month after the posttest to assess the stability of the intervention. The study tools used in this research were the Afrooz Marital Satisfaction Scale (2010), the Afrooz Spiritual Vitality Scale (2016), the Rosen and Brateen Marital Attitude Scale (1998), and the Educational Performance Pham–Taylor test (1999). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc test)in SPSS software version 22. The significance level for all tests was set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: The analysis of variance of all variables (marital satisfaction, educational performance, spiritual vitality, and attitude toward marriage) was significant for intragroup (time) (p<0.001) and intergroup (p=0.042) factors. Thus, for variables of marital satisfaction, educational performance, spiritual vitality, and attitude toward marriage, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups during the research stages, indicating the effect of the intervention. The results showed that the mean marital satisfaction score in the experimental group in the posttest was more than in the pretest (p<0.001). Also, marital satisfaction in the follow–up stage significantly differed from the pretest (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the posttest and follow–up (p=0.463). The mean score of the attitude toward marriage in the experimental group in the posttest was more than that in the pretest (p<0.001). Also, the attitude toward marrige in the follow–up stage significantly differed from the pretest (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the posttest and follow–up (p=0.597). Results indicated that the mean score of spiritual vitalityin the experimental group in the posttest was more than in the pretest (p<0.001). Also, spiritual vitality in the follow–up stage was significantly different from the pretest (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the posttest and follow–up (p=0.198). Also, the mean educational performance score in the posttest experimental group was more than that in the pretest (p<0.001). In addition, educational performance in the follow–up stage was significantly different from the pretest (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the posttest and follow–up (p=0.560), indicating the stable effect of teaching a family–based psychologycal program in the follow–up stage on the mentioned variables.
Conclusion: Based on the study findings, family–based psychological intervention effectively improves marriage appeal in parents and their daughter’s spiritual vitality, educational performance, and attitude toward marriage.