Determining the Effectiveness of Fairness-Based Contextual Therapy on Family Resilience and Marital Happiness in Conflicted Couples

Baradari , Ebrahim; Sheykholeslami , Ali; SadriDamirchi , Esmail; Ghamarigivi , Hossein

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Baradari E, Sheykholeslami A, SadriDamirchi E, Ghamarigivi H. Determining the Effectiveness of Fairness-Based Contextual Therapy on Family Resilience and Marital Happiness in Conflicted Couples. MEJDS 2024; 14 :93-93
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3415-en.html

Determining the Effectiveness of Fairness-Based Contextual Therapy on Family Resilience and Marital Happiness in Conflicted Couples

Ebrahim Baradari¹

, Ali Sheykholeslami ^*²

, Esmail SadriDamirchi²

, Hossein Ghamarigivi²

1- PhD Student, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

Abstract: (789 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Marital conflicts are open oppositions that cause differences of opinion and communication problems between spouses. Marital conflicts create essential challenges for couples and their families and have negative consequences for couples. Among the factors that are affected by conflicts in the marital relationship are family resilience and marital happiness. The increase in marital conflicts and their adverse effects on family resilience, marital happiness, and the mental health of couples and children has made researchers realize that they should find ways to strengthen marital relations. One of the interventions that can be used to reduce marital problems in couples is fairness–oriented contextual therapy. Counselors and psychotherapists have always considered the choice of an effective therapeutic approach in improving family functions. This research aimed to determine the efficacy of fairness–based contextual therapy on family resilience and marital happiness of couples with marital conflict.
Methods: The research method was quasi–experimental with a pretest–posttest and three–month follow–up design with a control group. The statistical population of the present study included all conflicting couples referred to the Happy Life and Mobin Counseling Center in Tabriz City, Iran, in 2023–2024. Among these couples, a sample of 32 legitimate volunteers was selected by purposive sampling. Then, they were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (16 people in each group). The inclusion criteria for the research were referring to a psychology clinic intending to resolve marital conflict, having at least a diploma, living together with a spouse at the time of conducting the research until its completion, and being willing to participate in the study and continuing treatment sessions, and lacking abuse drugs and acute and chronic psychological disorders. For the experimental group, 10 fairness–based contextual therapy sessions were held in groups, 60–minute sessions per week for ten weeks. During this period, the control group did not receive any intervention. We used the Family Resilience Scale (Sikbi, 2005) and the Marital Happiness Questionnaire (Azrin et al., 1973) for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the data. Descriptive statistics included mean and standard deviation. Regarding inferential statistics, variance analysis with repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare the means between the stages of the research. Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 26. The significance level of the tests was considered 0.05.
Results: The effects of time, group, and the interaction of time*group on the scores of family resilience and marital happiness variables were significant (p<0.001). The significant difference in the average scores between the pretest and posttest stages, as well as pretest and follow–up for the variables of marital happiness and family resilience in the experimental group, indicated a significant increase in scores in the posttest and follow–up compared to the pretest (p=0.001). While regarding the variables of marital happiness (p=0.130) and family resilience (p=1.000) in the experimental group, no significant difference was observed between the posttest and the follow–up, which indicated the stability of the treatment effects over time.
Conclusion: According to the results, fairness–based contextual therapy effectively increases marital happiness and family resilience. Therefore, counselors and couple therapists may use this treatment to improve family resilience and marital happiness.

Keywords: Fairness–based contextual therapy, Family resilience, Marital happiness, Marital conflict

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Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Counseling

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