The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment and Problem-Solving Skills Training on Reducing Emotional Divorce

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving skills training on reducing the emotional divorce and the marital frustration. Method: The research method, with regard to the quasi-experimental nature of the subject, was selected with a pre-test post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was the couples attending the Family counseling centers in Kerman city in 2019. The study sample involved 30 participating couples who were selected using convenience sampling and were divided into two experimental and control groups. Training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving was presented to the couples in the experimental group during eight two-hour sessions. The educational content was about couples' problems in marital relationships, choosing a common marital value and offering a solution based on it, and identifying internal and external barriers to action based on values. To assess the subjects in both groups, the Emotional divorce questionnaire, and the Marital Frustration questionnaire Completed before and after the intervention. In order to analyze the data, mean value, standard deviation (SD), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used. SPSS version 22 was further used. The significance level of the study was considered to be p=0.05. Results: The results of the covariance analysis for the participants who were 30-60 years old couples with at least five years of marital experience showed that training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving was effective on reducing the emotional divorce and frustration. While the mean value of emotional divorce for the pre-test was (M=14.33), the results for the post-test changed to (M=11.80). Marital frustration was also changed from (M=48.93) in the pre-test to (M=44.60). Conclusions: According to the results, maybe we need to consider a more serious role for training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving in the educational and therapeutic interventions related to reducing the emotional divorce and the marital frustration of the couples.