The Effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on Emotional Divorce of Couples: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Zahra Heidari; Mohammad Ghamari; Alireza Jafari; Alireza  Armani Kian

doi:10.18502/jimc.v4i2.6460

Zahra Heidari Department of Counseling, Abhar branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
Mohammad Ghamari . Department of Counseling, Abhar branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
Alireza Jafari Department of Counseling, Abhar branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
Alireza Armani Kian Department of Psychiatry, Beheshti Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v4i2.6460

Keywords: Couples therapy, Divorce, Marriage

Abstract

Background: Some scientists consider emotional divorce as the first step in the divorce process, which means that the marital relationship is declining. Research shows the harmful physical and psychological effects of emotional divorce on couples. The present research was carried out to show the effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on emotional divorce among couples.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental design study with a control group, including a pre-test, post-test and a 45-day follow up. The statistical population of this study was all couples referred to the family therapy clinic of Shahid Beheshti Psychiatric Hospital in Zanjan in 2020. Twenty couples were selected based on a score of eight or higher in a 24-item two-choice questionnaire on emotional divorce which was developed by Guttman in 1998. Next, participants were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control. The experimental group received 11 weekly sessions of IBCT and each intervention session lasted for 120 minutes and the control group did not receive any intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA was used and data were analyzed by SPSS software V18.

Results: The results of ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between the control and experimental groups in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up (p<0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that IBCT has reduced the emotional divorce of couples in the experimental group.

Conclusion: Results suggest that IBCT can be used as a treatment of choice for reduction of emotional divorce.