Comparing the effects of mentalization therapy and integrative transdiagnostic therapy on marital stability and happiness in women who have experienced marital infidelity.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of mentalizing therapy and integrative transdiagnostic therapy on marital stability and happiness of women who have experienced marital infidelity. This study is an applied study in terms of the type of information and knowledge obtained, and in terms of research method, it was based on a quasi-experimental research method of pre-test and post-test design with a control group. According to Delavar (2006), 15 people for each group in quasi-experimental research can lead to statistically valid results, and therefore, the sample of this study was 45 women who were purposefully selected from among women referring to counseling centers in Tehran (Shiva Counseling Center, Shirin House, and Meshkat Counseling Center) who had experienced marital infidelity and were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 people (control group of 15 people, first experimental group of 15 people, and second experimental group of 15 people). One experimental group underwent mentalization therapy and the other experimental group underwent integrative transdiagnostic therapy. Data collection was based on the marital instability questionnaires of Booth et al. (1983) and marital happiness questionnaires of Azrin et al. (1973). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software in two parts: descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (analysis of covariance). The results of the study indicated that mentalization therapy had a significant effect on marital instability in the experimental group, but transdiagnostic therapy had no effect. Other findings also indicated that there was no significant difference in the post-test phase, indicating the ineffectiveness of integrative transdiagnostic therapy and mentalization therapy in increasing marital happiness in women who had experienced marital infidelity (p<0.05).