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TB 2025, 24(1): 64-83 |
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Jamali N, Mohammadpanah Ardakan A, Ahmadi Ardakani Z. Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Turmoil and Marital Boredom of Incompatible Married People. TB 2025; 24 (1) :64-83
URL: http://tbj.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-3730-en.html
URL: http://tbj.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-3730-en.html
Department of Psychology, Ardakan University, Yazd, Iran , azramohammadpanah@ardakan.ac.ir
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Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Turmoil and Marital Boredom of Incompatible Married People
Neda Jamali Galeh (M.Sc.)1, Azra Mohammadpanah Ardakan (Ph.D.)2, Zahra Ahmadi Ardakani (Ph.D.)3
1.Master's degree Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
2.Corresponding Author: Associate Professor Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Ardakan, Ardakan, Iran
Email: azramohammadpanah@ardakan.ac.ir Tel: 09137232696
3.Assistant Professor Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Marital distress and dissatisfaction are common issues in couples' relationships that reduce the quality of married life. The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy in reducing marital distress and dissatisfaction in incompatible married individuals.
Method: This research was an intervention study of a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of married individuals with marital incompatibility from the city of Ardakan, Ahmadabad district, in the year 2024. The sample included 30 volunteers, selected through convenience sampling from men and women aged 21 to 45. After assessment with Berr-Sternberg questionnaire, participants were recruited via calls on social media, the Basij, and mosques, and were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). The intervention sessions were held at the Jame’ Mosque in Ahmadabad. Data collection tools included the Pines Marital Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, the Weiss Marital and Relational Distress Scale, and the Berr-Sternberg Marital Incompatibility Scale, whose validity and reliability have been confirmed in previous studies. The therapeutic intervention consisted of 8 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, conducted twice a week for the intervention group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS-23 software.
Rusults: Schema therapy was significantly effective in reducing marital distress and dissatisfaction among incompatible married individuals in the intervention group, and its effectiveness was significantly maintained after two months of follow-up. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups at all three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (p< 0/05).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, schema therapy has significantly reduced marital distress and dissatisfaction while improving relationships and compatibility among incompatible married individuals. Therefore, it can be considered an effective approach for enhancing the quality of marital life.
Keywords: Schema Therapies, Marital Conflicts, Boredom, Incompatible
Conflict of interest: The authors declared no conflict of interest.
References
1-Sayehmiri K, Kareem KI, Abdi K & et al. The relationship between personality traits and marital satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychol. 2020;8:1-8.
2-Gouin J-P, Paquin C, Wrosch C & et al. Marital quality and inflammation: The moderating role of early life adversity. Health Psychol. 2020;39(1):58.
3-Iordachescu DA, Gica C, Vladislav EO & et al. Emotional disorders, marital adaptation and the moderating role of social support for couples under treatment for infertility. Ginekol Pol. 2021;92(2):98-104.
4-Aghaie A, Khanjani Veshki S, Pasha S. The effectiveness of compassion-based education on reducing emotional turbulence in women experiencing marital infidelity. J Appl Psychol Res. 2021;12(1):299-313.[Persian]
5-Tahan M, Saleem T, Moshtagh M & et al. Psychoeducational Group Therapy for sexual function and marital satisfaction in Iranian couples with sexual dysfunction disorder. Heliyon. 2020;6(7).
6-Moghaddamzadeh A, Alavi TS, Mazaheri MA & et al. Representation of individual factors affecting the probability of divorce: A phenomenological study. Fam Couns Psychother. 2019;8(2):115-46.[Persian]
7-Shamir AS, Saniee M, Zare E. Effectiveness of Couple Therapy by Gottman Method on Family Function and Marital Adjustment in Divorce Applicant Couples. 2018.
8-Salinger JM, Whisman MA, Randall AK & et al. Associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms: A cross‐cultural analysis. Fam Process. 2021;60(2):493-506.
9-Mao K, Niu J, Chen H & et al. Mining of marital distress from microblogging social networks: A case study on Sina Weibo. Fut Gen Comput Syst. 2018;86:1481-90.
10-Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Wilson SJ, Bailey ML& et al. Marital distress, depression, and a leaky gut: translocation of bacterial endotoxin as a pathway to inflammation. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;98:52-60.
11-Neal AM, Lemay EP. The wandering eye perceives more threats: Projection of attraction to alternative partners predicts anger and negative behavior in romantic relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2019;36(2):450-68.
12-Harasymchuk C, Peetz J, Fehr B & et al. Worn out relationship? The role of expectations in judgments of relational boredom. Pers Relat. 2021;28(1):80-98.
13-Erfan A, Ghezelbash S, Kazemian M & et al. The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on impulsivity and mood symptoms of women with bipolar disorder. J Res Behav Sci. 2019;17(3):388-99.[Persian]
14-Janovsky T, Rock AJ, Thorsteinsson EB & et al. The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and interpersonal problems: A meta‐analytic review. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2020;27(3):408-47.
15-Khasho D, Van Alphen S, Heijnen-Kohl S & et al. The effectiveness of individual schema therapy in older adults with borderline personality disorder: Protocol of a multiple-baseline study. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2019;14:100330.
16-Zeynel Z, Uzer T. Adverse childhood experiences lead to trans-generational transmission of early maladaptive schemas. Child Abuse Negl. 2020;99:104235.
17-Moeller SB, Arendt I-MT, Meline JSJ & et al. Case report: Schema therapy for a case of treatment resistant schizotypal and paranoid personality disorder with a trauma history. Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2024;8(3):100414.
18-Bernstein DP, Barlow DH. Schemas and marital distress: Integrating cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal perspectives. J Cogn Psychother. 2018;32(3):205-21.
19-Nikamal M, Salehi M, Bermas H. Effectiveness of schema therapy based on emotional on marital satisfaction, of couple. J Psychol Stud. 2018;13(4):157-74.[Persian]
20-Pozza A, Albert U, Dèttore D. Early maladaptive schemas as common and specific predictors of skin picking subtypes. BMC Psychol. 2020;8:1-11.
21-Louis JP, Ortiz V, Barlas J & et al. The Good Enough Parenting early intervention schema therapy based program: Participant experience. PloS one. 2021;16(1):e0243508.
22-Rahimi S, Kalantari M, Abedi MR & et al. The role of early maladaptive schemas and difficulties in emotion regulation in the prediction of Gender Dysphoria in Transsexual men. Shenakht J Psychol Psychiatry. 2019;6(3):144-55.[Persian]
23-Nasiri A, Sharifi T, Ghazanfari A & et al. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Reality Therapy on Psychological Capital of Preschool Teachers. Q Appl Psychol. 2021;15(3):511.[Persian]
24-Mourkani SS. The effectiveness of treatment schemas on reducing marital conflicts and increasing mental health. Int J Med Investig. 2021;10(1):76-84.
25-Khaksar B. Predicting marital and communication disorders based on parenting styles and emotional instrumentalism of couples in Kermanshah city. J Islam-Iranian Fam Stud. 2021;1(2):40-56.[Pesian]
26-Nazeran Z, Haghayegh SA, Raeisi Z & et al. The relationship between marital attributions and marital burnout the mediating role of couple forgiveness. Rooyesh. 2023;12(1):187-96. [Persian].
27-Sadri Damirchi E, Mojarrad A, Matin H. The effectiveness of Resilience training to reduce the risk of divorce and marital discord in Women seeking divorce. Rooyesh-e-Ravanshenasi. 2022;11(1):175-84.[Persian]
28-Mahdian R, Pourfaraj M. Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on the Quality of Marital Relationships and Psychological Distress of Couples. Community Health J. 2024;18(1):1-10.[Persian]
29-Vakili M, Amani A. The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on emotional self-regulation and marital distress in couples with marital conflicts referred to counseling centers in Sanandaj. : Kurdistan Univ, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2020.[Persian]
30-Farrell JM, Shaw DA. The effectiveness of schema therapy in couples counseling: A review of the literature. J Marital Fam Ther. 2020;46(3):350-62.
31-Hoffart A, Martell CR, van den Bosch LM. Schema therapy and marital distress: An integration of cognitive-behavioral approaches. Cogn Ther Res. 2020;44(4):531-44.
32-Jacob SR, Wilson GE. Core emotional needs and schema therapy: Reframing marital problems in therapy. J Cogn Psychother. 2021;35(2):118-30.
33-Miller PM, Anderson DR, Lee SR. Impact of schema therapy on marital conflict and distress. Psychother Res. 2019;29(2):210-25.
34-Wiener J. Childhood predictors of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Results from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Biol Psychiatry. 2021;65:45-54.
35-Tahmasibizadeh F, Ali AP, Shalchi B & et al. The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy onMarital Satisfaction and Boredom in Those who Cheat. QJCR. 2023;22(87):6.[Persian]
36-Kamalian T, Mirzahoseini H, Monirpoor N. Comparison of the effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy with Self-Differentiation Method on marital burnout in women. . Appl Psychol. 2020;14(1):9-33.[Persian]
37-Emadi Far F, Fallah Yakhdani MH, Vaziri Yazdi S & et al. Offering and evaluation therapeutic model based on therapeutic schema and compassion-focused therapy and evaluating its effectiveness on the on women’s marital burnout. J Appl Psychol Res. 2022;13(4):91-108.[Persian]
38-Asgari A, Goodarzi K. The effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy on marital burnout on the Brink of Divorce. MEJDS. 2018;8:55-5.[Persian]
39-Lobbestael J, Arntz A, Morina N. The impact of schema therapy on marital distress: A systematic review. J Cogn Psychother. 2021;35(2):118-30.
40-Pasha D, Hatamipour K, Rostam Nezhad M. Effectiveness of schema therapy on marital relationship quality and emotion regulation in couples affected by infidelity. J Assess Res Appl Couns. 2024;6(2):71-8.[Persian]
Neda Jamali Galeh (M.Sc.)1, Azra Mohammadpanah Ardakan (Ph.D.)2, Zahra Ahmadi Ardakani (Ph.D.)3
1.Master's degree Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
2.Corresponding Author: Associate Professor Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Ardakan, Ardakan, Iran
Email: azramohammadpanah@ardakan.ac.ir Tel: 09137232696
3.Assistant Professor Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Marital distress and dissatisfaction are common issues in couples' relationships that reduce the quality of married life. The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy in reducing marital distress and dissatisfaction in incompatible married individuals.
Method: This research was an intervention study of a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of married individuals with marital incompatibility from the city of Ardakan, Ahmadabad district, in the year 2024. The sample included 30 volunteers, selected through convenience sampling from men and women aged 21 to 45. After assessment with Berr-Sternberg questionnaire, participants were recruited via calls on social media, the Basij, and mosques, and were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). The intervention sessions were held at the Jame’ Mosque in Ahmadabad. Data collection tools included the Pines Marital Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, the Weiss Marital and Relational Distress Scale, and the Berr-Sternberg Marital Incompatibility Scale, whose validity and reliability have been confirmed in previous studies. The therapeutic intervention consisted of 8 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, conducted twice a week for the intervention group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS-23 software.
Rusults: Schema therapy was significantly effective in reducing marital distress and dissatisfaction among incompatible married individuals in the intervention group, and its effectiveness was significantly maintained after two months of follow-up. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups at all three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (p< 0/05).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, schema therapy has significantly reduced marital distress and dissatisfaction while improving relationships and compatibility among incompatible married individuals. Therefore, it can be considered an effective approach for enhancing the quality of marital life.
Keywords: Schema Therapies, Marital Conflicts, Boredom, Incompatible
Conflict of interest: The authors declared no conflict of interest.
References
1-Sayehmiri K, Kareem KI, Abdi K & et al. The relationship between personality traits and marital satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychol. 2020;8:1-8.
2-Gouin J-P, Paquin C, Wrosch C & et al. Marital quality and inflammation: The moderating role of early life adversity. Health Psychol. 2020;39(1):58.
3-Iordachescu DA, Gica C, Vladislav EO & et al. Emotional disorders, marital adaptation and the moderating role of social support for couples under treatment for infertility. Ginekol Pol. 2021;92(2):98-104.
4-Aghaie A, Khanjani Veshki S, Pasha S. The effectiveness of compassion-based education on reducing emotional turbulence in women experiencing marital infidelity. J Appl Psychol Res. 2021;12(1):299-313.[Persian]
5-Tahan M, Saleem T, Moshtagh M & et al. Psychoeducational Group Therapy for sexual function and marital satisfaction in Iranian couples with sexual dysfunction disorder. Heliyon. 2020;6(7).
6-Moghaddamzadeh A, Alavi TS, Mazaheri MA & et al. Representation of individual factors affecting the probability of divorce: A phenomenological study. Fam Couns Psychother. 2019;8(2):115-46.[Persian]
7-Shamir AS, Saniee M, Zare E. Effectiveness of Couple Therapy by Gottman Method on Family Function and Marital Adjustment in Divorce Applicant Couples. 2018.
8-Salinger JM, Whisman MA, Randall AK & et al. Associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms: A cross‐cultural analysis. Fam Process. 2021;60(2):493-506.
9-Mao K, Niu J, Chen H & et al. Mining of marital distress from microblogging social networks: A case study on Sina Weibo. Fut Gen Comput Syst. 2018;86:1481-90.
10-Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Wilson SJ, Bailey ML& et al. Marital distress, depression, and a leaky gut: translocation of bacterial endotoxin as a pathway to inflammation. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;98:52-60.
11-Neal AM, Lemay EP. The wandering eye perceives more threats: Projection of attraction to alternative partners predicts anger and negative behavior in romantic relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2019;36(2):450-68.
12-Harasymchuk C, Peetz J, Fehr B & et al. Worn out relationship? The role of expectations in judgments of relational boredom. Pers Relat. 2021;28(1):80-98.
13-Erfan A, Ghezelbash S, Kazemian M & et al. The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on impulsivity and mood symptoms of women with bipolar disorder. J Res Behav Sci. 2019;17(3):388-99.[Persian]
14-Janovsky T, Rock AJ, Thorsteinsson EB & et al. The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and interpersonal problems: A meta‐analytic review. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2020;27(3):408-47.
15-Khasho D, Van Alphen S, Heijnen-Kohl S & et al. The effectiveness of individual schema therapy in older adults with borderline personality disorder: Protocol of a multiple-baseline study. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2019;14:100330.
16-Zeynel Z, Uzer T. Adverse childhood experiences lead to trans-generational transmission of early maladaptive schemas. Child Abuse Negl. 2020;99:104235.
17-Moeller SB, Arendt I-MT, Meline JSJ & et al. Case report: Schema therapy for a case of treatment resistant schizotypal and paranoid personality disorder with a trauma history. Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2024;8(3):100414.
18-Bernstein DP, Barlow DH. Schemas and marital distress: Integrating cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal perspectives. J Cogn Psychother. 2018;32(3):205-21.
19-Nikamal M, Salehi M, Bermas H. Effectiveness of schema therapy based on emotional on marital satisfaction, of couple. J Psychol Stud. 2018;13(4):157-74.[Persian]
20-Pozza A, Albert U, Dèttore D. Early maladaptive schemas as common and specific predictors of skin picking subtypes. BMC Psychol. 2020;8:1-11.
21-Louis JP, Ortiz V, Barlas J & et al. The Good Enough Parenting early intervention schema therapy based program: Participant experience. PloS one. 2021;16(1):e0243508.
22-Rahimi S, Kalantari M, Abedi MR & et al. The role of early maladaptive schemas and difficulties in emotion regulation in the prediction of Gender Dysphoria in Transsexual men. Shenakht J Psychol Psychiatry. 2019;6(3):144-55.[Persian]
23-Nasiri A, Sharifi T, Ghazanfari A & et al. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Reality Therapy on Psychological Capital of Preschool Teachers. Q Appl Psychol. 2021;15(3):511.[Persian]
24-Mourkani SS. The effectiveness of treatment schemas on reducing marital conflicts and increasing mental health. Int J Med Investig. 2021;10(1):76-84.
25-Khaksar B. Predicting marital and communication disorders based on parenting styles and emotional instrumentalism of couples in Kermanshah city. J Islam-Iranian Fam Stud. 2021;1(2):40-56.[Pesian]
26-Nazeran Z, Haghayegh SA, Raeisi Z & et al. The relationship between marital attributions and marital burnout the mediating role of couple forgiveness. Rooyesh. 2023;12(1):187-96. [Persian].
27-Sadri Damirchi E, Mojarrad A, Matin H. The effectiveness of Resilience training to reduce the risk of divorce and marital discord in Women seeking divorce. Rooyesh-e-Ravanshenasi. 2022;11(1):175-84.[Persian]
28-Mahdian R, Pourfaraj M. Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on the Quality of Marital Relationships and Psychological Distress of Couples. Community Health J. 2024;18(1):1-10.[Persian]
29-Vakili M, Amani A. The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on emotional self-regulation and marital distress in couples with marital conflicts referred to counseling centers in Sanandaj. : Kurdistan Univ, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2020.[Persian]
30-Farrell JM, Shaw DA. The effectiveness of schema therapy in couples counseling: A review of the literature. J Marital Fam Ther. 2020;46(3):350-62.
31-Hoffart A, Martell CR, van den Bosch LM. Schema therapy and marital distress: An integration of cognitive-behavioral approaches. Cogn Ther Res. 2020;44(4):531-44.
32-Jacob SR, Wilson GE. Core emotional needs and schema therapy: Reframing marital problems in therapy. J Cogn Psychother. 2021;35(2):118-30.
33-Miller PM, Anderson DR, Lee SR. Impact of schema therapy on marital conflict and distress. Psychother Res. 2019;29(2):210-25.
34-Wiener J. Childhood predictors of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Results from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Biol Psychiatry. 2021;65:45-54.
35-Tahmasibizadeh F, Ali AP, Shalchi B & et al. The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy onMarital Satisfaction and Boredom in Those who Cheat. QJCR. 2023;22(87):6.[Persian]
36-Kamalian T, Mirzahoseini H, Monirpoor N. Comparison of the effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy with Self-Differentiation Method on marital burnout in women. . Appl Psychol. 2020;14(1):9-33.[Persian]
37-Emadi Far F, Fallah Yakhdani MH, Vaziri Yazdi S & et al. Offering and evaluation therapeutic model based on therapeutic schema and compassion-focused therapy and evaluating its effectiveness on the on women’s marital burnout. J Appl Psychol Res. 2022;13(4):91-108.[Persian]
38-Asgari A, Goodarzi K. The effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy on marital burnout on the Brink of Divorce. MEJDS. 2018;8:55-5.[Persian]
39-Lobbestael J, Arntz A, Morina N. The impact of schema therapy on marital distress: A systematic review. J Cogn Psychother. 2021;35(2):118-30.
40-Pasha D, Hatamipour K, Rostam Nezhad M. Effectiveness of schema therapy on marital relationship quality and emotion regulation in couples affected by infidelity. J Assess Res Appl Couns. 2024;6(2):71-8.[Persian]
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Counseling
Received: 2024/12/10 | Accepted: 2025/03/12 | Published: 2025/05/19
Received: 2024/12/10 | Accepted: 2025/03/12 | Published: 2025/05/19
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