The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Therapy on Uncertainty Intolerance, Turmoil Tolerance, and Sexual Function in Betrayed Women

Abstract

Introduction: Marital infidelity is one of the most destructive problems in a relationship and also one of the issues that usually leads to divorce. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on intolerance of uncertainty, tolerance of turmoil, and sexual function in betrayed women. Materials and Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all betrayed women in Gorgan, Iran who were referred to Aramesh and Roshna Counseling Centers from July to August 2021 to receive counseling services. Among them, 30 people were selected by the available sampling method and randomly divided into two groups; experimental (15 people) and control (15 people). The research instruments were Fristen et al.’s Uncertainty Intolerance Questionnaire, Simmons and Gahr Confusion Tolerance Questionnaire, and Rosen Sexual Function Questionnaire. Research data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of intolerance, confusion tolerance, and sexual function. In other words, treatment based on acceptance and commitment significantly improved intolerance, turbulence tolerance, and sexual function in betrayed women. Conclusion: It is recommended that clinical psychologists and therapists use acceptance and commitment therapy along with other educational methods to improve the mental health of betrayed women.