The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy on Marital Satisfaction and Spiritual Well-Being of Women with Breast Cancer
Keywords:
Marital Satisfaction, Spiritual Well-Being, Emotion-Focused Couple TherapyAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy on marital satisfaction and spiritual well-being in women with breast cancer.
Methodology: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design, including a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples whose wives were diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to Shahid Tajrish Hospital in Tehran during the years 2022-2023. A total of 40 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The experimental group received a 10-session intervention of emotion-focused couple therapy, with each session lasting 90 minutes, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data collection tools included the standardized Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire by Afrooz (2010) and the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire by Afrooz (2016). Content validity was used to assess the validity of the instruments, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was employed to determine reliability, confirming the tools' validity and reliability. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures) in SPSS-V23 software.
Findings: The results indicated that the emotion-focused couple therapy intervention significantly improved marital satisfaction and spiritual well-being in women with breast cancer (p = 0.05). Additionally, the intervention's effects were sustained over time, as evidenced by follow-up assessments conducted after the post-test.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that emotion-focused couple therapy can serve as an effective intervention to enhance the quality of life and marital relationships of women with breast cancer. Ultimately, the results of this study can contribute to the development of supportive and therapeutic programs for this group of patients and emphasize the importance of addressing emotional and psychological dimensions in the treatment process.
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