The Effectiveness of the Integrated Behavioral Couple Therapy on the Emotional Divorce

Document Type : Randomized Clinical Trial

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran

2 Ph.D. in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

Abstract

The integrated behavioral couple therapy is one of the valuable methods and evidence-based that has been supported by many studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of integrated behavioral couple therapy in the emotional divorce of couples in Maragheh. The statistical population of the study (98 people) included all spouses who referred to the Counseling Center of Omid Maragheh in 1998. The study sample consisted of three couples who selected using a targeted sampling method. The method of the present study was a single case study of multiple-step lines. Treatment was performed whit using the Gatman Excitement Measurement Scale (1994). The treatment protocol was implemented in 16 sessions. Data were analyzed by visual mapping, constant change index, and recovery percentage. The findings showed that couple therapy combined at the end of treatment resulted in a 56.33% improvement in emotional divorce in the first couple, 53.1% improvement in the second couple, and 72% improvement in the third couple. A stable change index of 4.63 was obtained. This amount of the indicator of stable change shows that reducing the emotional divorce of all 6 people are clinically significant. The results of three months of follow-up showed that these results remained almost constant. Therefore, it can be concluded that couple therapy on the reduction of emotional divorce in the short and long term in couples in Maragheh has the necessary efficiency and therapists can use this model in working with couples to increase emotional intimacy in couples.

Keywords


Abbasi, M., Bagiyan, M., Dargahi, S., & Ghamari Givi, H. (2015). The effectiveness of behavioral-communication couple therapy on marital Adjustment and Sexual Intimacy of Couples. Iran Journal of Nursing, 28(3), 22-33. [Persian] [link]
Alavi lavasani, A. A., & Ahmadi thouri, M. (2017). Association between maltreatment in childhood and emotional divorce: Mediating role of attachment styles, early maladaptive schemas and difficulty in emotional regulation. Journal of Health Promotion Management, 6(4), 49-58. [Persian] [link]
Barzoki, M. H., Tavakoll, M., & Burrage, H. (2015). Rational-emotional ‘divorce’ in Iran. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 10(1), 107-122. [link]
Baucom, B., Sevier, M., Eldridge, K., Doss, B., & Christensen, A. (2011). Observed communication in couples two years after integrative and traditional behavioral couple therapy: Outcome and link with five-year follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 565-576. [link]
Christensen, A. (2017). Integrative behavioral couple therapy. Journal Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 111-114. [link]
Christensen, A., Atkins, D., Baucom, B., & Yi, J. (2010). Marital status and satisfaction five years following a randomized clinical trial comparing traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 225-235. [link]
Colman, E., Symoens, S., & Bracke, P. (2012). Professional health care use and subjective unmet need for social or emotional problems: a cross-sectional survey of the married and divorced population of Flanders. BMC Health Services Research, 12, 420. [link]
Dimijian, S., Martell, C. R., & Christensen, A. (2002). Clinical handbook of couple. California: Brooks/cok. [link]
Engel, R. J., & Papa, R. K. (2008). Single-subject design. In R. J. Engel & R. K. Schutt (Eds), The practice of research in social work. New York: Sage Publication. [link]
Gurman, A., & Jacobson, N. (2015). Therapy with couples: A Coming of age. Clinical Hand book of Couple Therapy. (Vol. 255-330). New York: Guilford press. [link]
Hashemi, L., & Homayuni, H. (2017). Emotional divorce: Child’s well-Being. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 58(8), 631-644. [link]
Hashemi, Z. (2016). Behavioral couple therapy (A Method for Couples' Depression Treatment). Tabriz: Akhtar Publications. [Persian] [link]
Hoyer, J., Uhmann, S., Rambow, J., & Jacobi, F. (2009). Reduction of sexual dysfunction: by-product of cognitive-behavioural therapy for psychological disorders? Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 24(1), 64-73. [link]
Ibrahimi, S., & Bani Fatimah, H. (2013). Emotional divorce and related factors with it in Naghadeh. The Journal of Socialogy Studies, 5(17), 7-22. [Persian] [link]
Karimian, N., Zarei, E., Mohammadi, K., & Christensen, A. (2017). Integrative treatments, Sex and Couple Therapy: study and comparison of the effectiveness of integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) and redecision therapy in improvement of marital commitment of competing couples. Bi-annual of Family Conseling & Psycotherapy, 62(2), 21-38. [Persian] [link]
Kianipour, F., & Aminiha, A. (2020). The effectiveness of emotion- focused couple therapy in emotional divorce and the quality of the relationship with the spouse's family. Bi-annual of Family Conseling & Psycotherapy, 2, 195-214. [Persian] [link]
Lalzadeh, E., Asghari Ebrahimabad, M., & Hesarsorkhi, R. (2015). The investigation of role of early maladaptive schemas in predicting emotional divorce. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 7(2), 101-108. [Persian] [link]
Mairal, J. B. (2015). Integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) as a third-wave therapy. Psicothema, 27(1), 13-18. [link]
Montesi, J. L., Conner, B. T., Gordon, E. A., Fauber, R. L., Kim, K. H., & Heimberg, E. (2013). On the relationship among social anxiety. Intimacy, sexual communication and sexual satisfaction in young couples. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(1), 81-91. [link]
Morgan, D., & Morgan, R. (2009). Single-case research methods for the behavioral and health sciences. Los Angles: Sage Publications Inc. [link]
Mousavi, F., & Rezazadeh, M. R. (2014). Observed communication in couples two years after integrative and traditional behavioral couple therapy: Outcome and link with five-year follow-up. Journal of Woman's Studies Sociological and Psychological, 12(3), 169-188. [Persian] [link]
Musai, M., Tavasoli, G., & Mehrara, M. (2011). The relationship between divorce and economic-social variables in Iran. British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 1(2), 89-93. [link]
Parvin, S., Davoodi, M., & Mohamadi, F. (2012). Sociological factors influencing emotional divorce in Tehran. Journal of Women's Strategic Studies, 14(56), 119-153. [Persian] [link]
Perissutti, C., & Barraca, J. (2013). Integrative behavioral couple therapy vs. Traditional behavioral couple therapy: A theoretical review of the differential effectiveness. Journal of Clínica y Salud, 24(1), 11-18. [link]
Pourhosein, R., & Bidast, F. (2014). Estimation of the validity of the emotional divorce test. Journal of Rooyesh- e- Ravanshenasi, 3(8), 27-38. [Persian] [link]
Rezaei, A. M., Mirzadeh Khouhshahi, F., & Yaghoubi Taraki, E. (2018). Couples’ emotional interactions and its role in emotional divorce and initiating for divorce: A qualitative study. Journal of Family Research, 13(4), 585-604. [Persian] [link]
Silveria, G. J. (2016). Challenging the centralist doctrine in Mexican family law: An analysis of the evolution of state authority over civil law matters and its impact on the regulation of cohabitation and divorce. Mexican Law Review, 9(1), 45-79. [link]
Sobral, M. P., & Costa, M. E. (2015). Development of the fear of intimacy components questionnaire embracing a dependence component. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 31(4), 302-313. [link]
Sobral, M. P., Matos, P. M., & Costa, M. E. (2014). Fear of intimacy among couples: Dyadic and mediating effects of parental inhibition of exploration and individuality and partner attachment. Family Science, 6(1), 380-388. [link]
Symanski, D. M., & Hilton, A. N. (2013). Fear of intimacy as a mediator of the internalized heterosexism-relationship quality link among men in same-sex relationships. Contemporary Family Therapy, 35(1), 760-772. [link]
Yoo, H., Bartle- Haring, S., Day, R. D., & Gangamma, R. (2014). Couple communication, emotional and sexual intimacy and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 40(4), 275-293. [link]