The Effectiveness of Solution-focused Therapy on Family Functioning and Couple Burnout among Women Affected by Spouse Infidelity at Counseling Centers in Ahvaz: A Pilot Study
SALĀMAT-I IJTIMĀĪ (Community Health),
Vol. 9 No. 2,
17 Farvardin 2022
,
Page 23-36
https://doi.org/10.22037/ch.v9i2.31337
Abstract
Background and Objective: Infidelity is a painful and complicated experience for couples. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of solution-based therapy on family functioning and couple burnout among women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz.
Materials and Methods: The research method was experimental with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. Participants included 30 women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz in 2019, selected by purposive sampling method, and divided into two experimental and control groups of 15 people. Family functioning and couple burnout questionnaires were used to collect data. Before the intervention, a pre-test was held, and the experimental group received six 120-minute solution-based therapies, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The post-test was then performed, and after one month of post-test, the follow-up period was performed. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis via SPSS software version 22.
Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 33.7 (6.3) in the experimental group and 31.4 (5.9) in the control group. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) score of family functioning increased from 128.4 (17.7) in the pre-test to 188.5 (22.8) in the post-test, and 192.1 (23.4) in the follow-up (P<0.001). In the control group, it varied from 125.4 (15.3) in the pre-test to 124.9 (15.8) in the post-test, and 123.7 (15.5) in the follow-up, which was not significant. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) score of couple burnout decreased from 124.0 (14.6) in the pre-test to 61.9 (8.9) in the post-test and 58.9 (9.8) in the follow-up (P<0.001). In the control group, it varied from 123.5 (12.5) in the pre-test to 124.7 (12.3) in the post-test, and 123.8 (11.4) in the follow-up, which was not significant.
Conclusion: Solution-based therapy improved family functioning and reduced marital burnout among women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz.
How to cite this article: Hasannejad L, Heydarei A, Makvandi B, Talebzadeh-Shoshtari M. The Effectiveness of Solution-focused Therapy on Family Functioning and Couple Burnout among Women Affected by Spouse Infidelity at Counseling Centers in Ahvaz: A Pilot Study. Salāmat-i ijtimā̒ī (Community Health). 2022; 9(2):23-36. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22037/ch.v9i2.31337.
Corresponding Author: Alireza Heydarei, Email: heidarei@iauahvaz.ac.ir
Extended Abstract
Introduction: Marital infidelity is defined as the withdrawal of sexual and emotional agreement between a married couple, which causes marital conflict and divorce in many women and weakens the foundation of the family (1). Family functioning is how to communicate and make decisions, interact and maintain relationships and solve family members' problems. In other words, family functioning is an important aspect of the family environment that affects the physical, social and emotional health of couples and children (2) . In a frustrated marriage, one or both couples, while experiencing feelings of separation from their spouse and diminished interests and mutual communication, have significant concerns about the increasing destruction of the relationship and moving towards separation and divorce (3). Marital frustration or burnout is a gradual decrease in emotional attachment to the spouse that is accompanied by feelings of alienation, apathy and indifference between couples and the replacement of negative emotions instead of positive emotions (4). The central element of marital burnout is the chronic depletion of a person's energy resources, including physical, emotional, and mental fatigue, which are caused by prolonged exposure to long-term stress (5). It is possible to improve the conflicts and problems that arise in marital relationships with different psychological approaches. One of these therapeutic approaches is solution-oriented therapy. This approach is classified as a postmodern approach to therapist-dependent behavioral interventions between therapist and clients for treatment (6). Considering the adverse effects of marital infidelity and its effect on family functioning and marital burnout and its consequences for children and injured spouses, with timely diagnosis and appropriate interventions by therapists can improve the adverse conditions caused by marital infidelity and improve functioning. Family and the reduction of marital burnout in women affected by infidelity were significant contributions. Therefore, it is necessary to consider different treatment methods to identify the most effective and appropriate intervention method. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of solution-based therapy on family functioning and couple burnout among women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz.
Materials and methods: The research method was experimental with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. Participants included 30 women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz in 2019, selected by purposive sampling method, and divided into two experimental and control groups of 15 people. Family functioning (7) and couple burnout questionnaires (8) were used to collect data. Before the intervention, a pre-test was held, and the experimental group received six 120-minute solution-based therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The post-test was then performed, and after one month of post-test, the follow-up period was performed. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis via SPSS software version 22.
Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 33.7 (6.3) in the experimental group and 31.4 (5.9) in the control group. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) score of family functioning increased from 128.4 (17.7) in the pre-test to 188.5 (22.8) in the post-test, and 192.1 (23.4) in the follow-up (P<0.001). In the control group, it varied from 125.4 (15.3) in the pre-test to 124.9 (15.8) in the post-test, and 123.7 (15.5) in the follow-up, which was not significant. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) score of couple burnout decreased from 124.0 (14.6) in the pre-test to 61.9 (8.9) in the post-test and 58.9 (9.8) in the follow-up (P<0.001). In the control group, it varied from 123.5 (12.5) in the pre-test to 124.7 (12.3) in the post-test, and 123.8 (11.4) in the follow-up, which was not significant.
Discussion: Solution-focused therapy was effective in improving family functioning in the post-test and follow-up stages. This finding was consistent with the results of research by Kim et al. (9) on the effectiveness of short solution-focused therapy to improve child well-being and the family functioning consequences of substance abusive parents. Solution-focused therapy can improve family functioning in the field of maps and expression of emotions and reduce the problems of clients in these areas (10). In general, by changing the frequency and duration of a disorder or a problem, one can build and target the family organization and change the events within family life and existing dynamics. One of the presuppositions of solution-focused therapy is that changing one member of the family or spouse can change other people in the system (9). Solution-based therapy was effective in reducing marital burnout in women affected by infidelity in the post-test and follow-up stages. This finding was consistent with the results of research by Rathgeber et al. (10) on the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy and behavioral couple therapy on marital relationships. In solution-focused therapy, the slow discovery of exceptions in the life of the client can inspire hope in the client to imagine a better future (11). In the treatment sessions, when the clients were able to recall times when they did not have problems with their spouse, or if they had a problem, the severity of these problems was very small, the extraction of these moments allowed the clients to have no problems to find out what their marital relationship was like back then and what they did to do the same now. The solution-focused therapist asks clients to rate their problems on a scale of 1 to 10. These questions help clients identify the progress or underdevelopment of a particular issue or problem within and outside the treatment (13). In addition to the scale questions and exceptions, another solution to the solution-focused therapist was the miraculous question. A miraculous question helps to find information about the client's vision for the future or a solution to the problem. The solution-focused therapist asks the client what would you do differently if a miracle happened today and the problem was solved? How do you know if the problem is solved? Using such questions helps clients to find a different way to see their problems and can be an important step in the process of changing them and their views (10). In treatment sessions, when members were asked to praise their spouse's every positive behavior, however small and minor, and emphasize their spouse's positive points, the client was able to praise his or her spouse and establish an emotional connection with the partner. Improve his life and as a result, establish a better relationship with the spouse (9).
Conclusion: Solution-based therapy improved family functioning and reduced marital burnout among women affected by spouse infidelity referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz.
Acknowledgment: This study was derived from the doctoral dissertation of Leila Hasannejad. Authors would like to thank all participants of the study.
Ethical publication statement: We confirm that we have read the Journal's position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that this report is consistent with those guidelines.
Ethical code: IR.IAU.AHVAZ.REC.1399.026.
REFERENCES:
1. Bahremand M, Rai A, Alikhani M, Mohammadi S, Shahebrahimi K, Janjani P. Relationship between family functioning and mental health considering the mediating role of resiliency in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Global journal of health science. 2015;7(3):254-60.
2. Seyyed Moharrami I, Ghanbari B. The effect of solution-focused group counseling on family function and marital satisfaction. Biannual journal of applied counseling. 2016;5(1):23-40.
3. Monemiyan G, Khoshkonesh A, Poorebrahim T. Effectiveness of solution- focused brief therapy on the reduction of couple burnout and optimizing the quality of marital relationship in married women. Feyz. 2016; 20(2):165-172.
4.Nazari A, Rasouli M, Davarniya R, Hosseini A, Babaei Gharmkhani M. Effectiveness of Solution- Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) on Couple Burnout and Divorce Tendency in Married Women. IJPN. 2015; 3 (3) :41-52.
5. Dahraei HA, Adlparvar E. The relationship between family functioning achievement motivation and rational decision-making style in female high school students of Tehran, Iran. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies. 2016;3(2):456-63.
6. Mikolajczak M, Raes ME, Avalosse H, Roskam I. Exhausted parents: sociodemographic, child-related, parent-related, parenting and family-functioning correlates of parental burnout. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2018;27(2):602-14.
7. Mansfield AK, Keitner GI, Sheeran T. The brief assessment of family functioning scale (BAFFS): a three-item version of the general functioning scale of the family assessment device. Psychotherapy Research. 2019;29(6):824-31.
8. Sanai B, Davarniya R, Bakhtiari Said B, Shakarami M. The effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) on reducing couple burnout and improvement of the quality of life of married women. Armaghane danesh. 2015;20(5):416-32.
9. Kim JS, Akin BA, Brook J. Solution-focused brief therapy to improve child well-being and family functioning outcomes with substance using parents in the child welfare system. Developmental Child Welfare. 2019;1(2):124-42.
10. Rathgeber M, Bürkner PC, Schiller EM, Holling H. The efficacy of emotionally focused couples therapy and behavioral couples therapy: A meta‐ Journal of marital and family therapy. 2019;45(3):447-63.
11. Mikolajczak M, Raes ME, Avalosse H, Roskam I. Exhausted parents: sociodemographic, child-related, parent-related, parenting and family-functioning correlates of parental burnout. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2018;27(2):602-14.
12. Schoenfeld EA, Loving TJ, Pope MT, Huston TL, Štulhofer A. Does sex really matter? Examining the connections between spouses’ nonsexual behaviors, sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction. Archives of sexual behavior. 2017;46(2):489-501.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License]
- Couple burnout; Family functioning; Marital infidelity; Solution-based therapy
How to Cite
References
Bahremand M, Rai A, Alikhani M, Mohammadi S, Shahebrahimi K, Janjani P. Relationship between family functioning and mental health considering the mediating role of resiliency in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Global journal of health science. 2015;7(3):254-60.
Sanai B, Davarniya R, Bakhtiari Said B, Shakarami M. The Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) on Reducing Couple Burnout and Improvement of the Quality of Life of Married Women. Armaghane danesh. 2015; 20(5):416-432
Seyyed Moharrami I, Ghanbari B. The effect of solution-focused group counseling on family function and marital satisfaction. Biannual journal of applied counseling. 2016;5(1):23-40.
Yan W, Li Y, Sui N. The relationship between recent stressful life events, personality traits, perceived family functioning and internet addiction among college students. Stress and Health. 2014;30(1):3-11.
Monemiyan G, Khoshkonesh A, Poorebrahim T. Effectiveness of solution- focused brief therapy on the reduction of couple burnout and optimizing the quality of marital relationship in married women. Feyz. 2016; 20(2):165-172.
Nazari A, Rasouli M, Davarniya R, Hosseini A, Babaei Gharmkhani M. Effectiveness of Solution- Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) on Couple Burnout and Divorce Tendency in Married Women. IJPN. 2015; 3 (3) :41-52.
Brewer G, Hunt D, James G, Abell L. Dark Triad traits, infidelity and romantic revenge. Personality and Individual Differences. 2015;83:122-7.
Capri B. The Turkish Adaptation of the Burnout Measure-Short Version (BMS) and Couple Burnout Measure-Short Version (CBMS) and the Relationship between Career and Couple Burnout Based on Psychoanalytic-Existential Perspective. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(3):1408-17.
Dahraei HA, Adlparvar E. The relationship between family functioning achievement motivation and rational decision-making style in female high school students of Tehran, Iran. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies. 2016;3(2):456-63.
Kelada L, Hasking P, Melvin G. Adolescent NSSI and recovery: the role of family functioning and emotion regulation. Youth & society. 2018;50(8):1056-77.
Kulik L, Walfisch S, Liberman G. Spousal conflict resolution strategies and marital relations in late adulthood. Personal Relationships. 2016;23(3):456-74.
Mikolajczak M, Raes ME, Avalosse H, Roskam I. Exhausted parents: sociodemographic, child-related, parent-related, parenting and family-functioning correlates of parental burnout. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2018;27(2):602-14.
Polat DD, İskender M. Exploring teachers’ resilience in relation to job satisfaction, burnout, organizational commitment and perception of organizational climate. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies. 2018;5(3):1-3.
Kim JS, Akin BA, Brook J. Solution-focused brief therapy to improve child well-being and family functioning outcomes with substance using parents in the child welfare system. Developmental Child Welfare. 2019;1(2):124-42.
Kim JS, Franklin C. Solution-focused brief therapy in schools: A review of the outcome literature. Children and Youth Services Review. 2009;31(4):464-70.
Rathgeber M, Bürkner PC, Schiller EM, Holling H. The efficacy of emotionally focused couples therapy and behavioral couples therapy: A meta‐analysis. Journal of marital and family therapy. 2019;45(3):447-63.
Rayesh N, Kalantar SM. The role of praying for the spouse and sanctification of marriage in reducing infidelity. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. 2018;21(1):65-76.
Schoenfeld EA, Loving TJ, Pope MT, Huston TL, Štulhofer A. Does sex really matter? Examining the connections between spouses’ nonsexual behaviors, sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction. Archives of sexual behavior. 2017;46(2):489-501.
Sehat N, Sehat F. khanjani S, Mohebi S, Shahsiah M. The effect of solution-focused shortterm Couple therapy on women’s marital adjustment in Qom. J Health Systemic Res. 2014;10(1):168-79.
Seibert GS, Jaurequi ME, May RW, Cooper AN, Ledermann T, Kimmes JG, Fincham FD. Self-control, sleep disturbance, and the mediating role of occupational burnout in married couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2019;36(10):3159-77.
Sirin HD, Deniz M. The Effect of the Family Training Program on Married Women's Couple-Burnout Levels. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2016;16(5):1563-85.
Alitabar SH, Ghanbari S, Zadeh MA, Habibi M. The relationship between premarital sex and attitudes toward infidelity. Journal of Family Research. 2014;10(38):255-267.
Mansfield AK, Keitner GI, Sheeran T. The brief assessment of family functioning scale (BAFFS): a three-item version of the general functioning scale of the family assessment device. Psychotherapy Research. 2019;29(6):824-31.
Sanai B, Davarniya R, Bakhtiari Said B, Shakarami M. The effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) on reducing couple burnout and improvement of the quality of life of married women. Armaghane danesh. 2015;20(5):416-32.
Shirashiani A, Namani E. Effectiveness of the Combination of Solution-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy in Marital Adjustment among Incompatible Iranian Women. Open Journal of Psychiatry. 2017;7(2):79-89.
- Abstract Viewed: 219 times
- pdf (فارسی) Downloaded: 319 times
- پرسشنامه عملکرد خانواده (فارسی) Downloaded: 0 times