Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy and Yoga Therapy on Communication Patterns in Depressed Married Women

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and yoga therapy in improving communication patterns among depressed married women. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and control group was employed. The population comprised married women aged 20–45 years diagnosed with depressive disorder and referred to counseling centers in Chalous. Thirty eligible participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of ten. One experimental group received twelve 90-minute sessions of EFT, another received twelve 90-minute sessions of yoga therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Christensen and Sullaway Marital Communication Patterns Questionnaire and analyzed using ANCOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. ANCOVA results revealed a significant group effect on all three communication components: constructive communication (F=182.64, p=0.001, η²=0.938), mutual avoidance (F=162.11, p=0.001, η²=0.931), and demand/withdraw (F=65.02, p=0.001, η²=0.844). Bonferroni tests indicated that EFT outperformed both yoga and control groups, and yoga therapy also showed significant improvements compared to the control group. Both EFT and yoga therapy effectively improved communication patterns in depressed married women, but EFT demonstrated stronger effects and can be considered a priority intervention for enhancing marital relationships in this population.