The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Training on Regretting Spouse Choice among Married University Students

Marriage and family formation are among the factors affecting mental health and lifestyle, and their role in reducing individual and social disorders has been identified. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral training on regretting spouse choice among married university students.

This is a semi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, follow-up and a control group. The statistical population of the study included all married university students in Gonbad-e-Kavus city in the academic year 2017-2018. Participants included 60 married men and women selected by convenience sampling method and assigned to experimental and control groups. Data were obtained by using a regretting the spouse choice scale. All participants took the pretest. The experimental group underwent ten 90-minute cognitive behavioral training sessions while the control group received no interventions. Both groups took the post-test after 45 days. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

The mean (SD) age of participants was 33.1 (48.4) in the experimental group and 34.6 (6.8) in the control group. The mean (SD) regretting the spouse choice score in pre-test of the experimental group was reduced from 31.2 (2.4) to 20.1 (3.1) in the post-test and 18.4 (1.7) in follow-up, P<0.001; however, the mean (SD) regret scores did not very in the control group's spouse in pre-test, post-test and follow-up.

The study showed that cognitive-behavioral training resulted in a reduction in regretting the spouse choice regret among married university students.