Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Marital Burnout Among Couples with Marital Conflict

Fatemeh Bazregarzadeh; Seyedeh Sarira Hashemipour

Authors

Fatemeh Bazregarzadeh Department of Psychology, BA.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6432-2890
Seyedeh Sarira Hashemipour Department of Psychology, BA.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran Corresponding Author

Keywords:

Compassion-Focused Therapy, marital burnout, marital conflict

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) in reducing marital burnout among couples experiencing marital conflict in Bandar Abbas, Iran, through online treatment sessions. This applied study employed a two-group quasi-experimental design comprising an experimental group and a control group. The sample consisted of 30 couples, with 15 couples assigned to each group, who were recruited through convenience sampling in an online setting. Data were collected using the Marital Conflict Questionnaire developed by Barati (1996) and the Couple Burnout Measure developed by Pines (1996). The intervention was implemented based on Gilbert’s Compassion-Focused Therapy protocol. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and the Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS version 24. The results indicated that Compassion-Focused Therapy had a statistically significant effect on reducing marital burnout. Accordingly, CFT can be considered an effective therapeutic approach for improving marital relationships among couples experiencing marital conflict.

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