Effect of a Couple's Relationship Enrichment Program on the Couple Burnout from the Perspective of Spouses of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Backgrounds & Aim: A relationship enrichment program involves family therapy with psychosocial training and skill-based approach that aims to improve couples’ psychological and emotional satisfaction. The aim of current study was to determine the effect of a couples’ relationship enrichment program on couple burnout from the perspective of spouses of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
A quasi experimental study was conducted in 2016 on 80 patients with MS and their spouses who were members of MS center in Zahedan. The participants were randomly divided into two groups including control and intervention The Couple Burnout Measurement was used to collect the required data. The individuals in the intervention group participated in a five-session couples’ relationship enrichment program. The control group did not receive any intervention except routine programs. Marital burnout was evaluated in two groups 12 weeks after the last session. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square and analysis of covariance.
After the implementation of the couples’ relationship enrichment program, the mean score of couple burnout in the intervention group significantly decreased from 86.17 ± 21.80 to 51.57 ± 12.93 in comparison with the control group (from 84.42 ± 21.43 to 87.55 ± 21.64) (P Considering the positive effect of couples’ relationship enrichment program on reducing couple burnout from the perspective of spouses, the application of the program is recommended to improve marital relationship quality as the most important sources of support for patients with MS.