Combined Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy and Counseling Program Based on Islamic Spiritual Teachings and Cognitive Flexibility on the Sexual Function of Pregnant Women

Delivery, as a traumatic event, could put the mother at risk for postpartum disorders, which necessitates psychological interventions. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a combined cognitive–behavioral therapy and counseling program based on Islamic spiritual teachings and cognitive flexibility on the sexual function of pregnant women.

This was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–posttest and a control group design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all pregnant women who referred to Bandar Abbas Health Centers between October and December 2018. Forty patients were selected and randomly divided into two groups of test and control (n=20/group). Rosen et al.chr('39')s Sexual Dysfunction Index (2000) and Denis and Vendularchr('39')s Cognitive Flexibility Scale (2010) were completed by the study groups before, after, and two months after providing the intervention sessions. By working closely with Bandar Abbas Health Centers’ staff, we reviewed the records of individuals who met the study inclusion criteria (i.e., 2–8 weeks gestation, having informed consent to participate in the study, not using psychiatric medications, no specific psychiatric illness). Accordingly, 90 patients were selected and screened for cognitive flexibility; 40 subjects with scores lower than the average were selected as the study sample and were randomly placed in the two experimental and control groups. They were invited to participate in a briefing session (recruiting partners, acquaintance with pregnancy, & problems during this period, research intervention methods, therapeutic expectations, & discussing confidentiality issues, etc.). At the end of the session, the quality of life questionnaire, fear of pain, and postpartum depression scales were completed by the explored pregnant women. The training intervention was conducted in 12 sessions and twice a week for 90 to 110 minutes at an educational institution in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Furthermore, the sexual function questionnaire was completed by both groups after the intervention, and two months later (follow–up). The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated–measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at the significance level of 0.05 in SPSS.

The present study findings revealed the significant effects of the integrated cognitive–behavioral therapy and resilience and Islamic spiritual teachings–based cognitive flexibility on sexual function in the studied pregnant women (p<0.001). In the three study phases, the two study groups were measured on the variables of sexual function (p<0.001) and psychological stimulation (p=0.008), vaginal moisture (p=0.028), and sexual pain (p=0.007). There were significant differences in the above–mentioned dimensions. In other words, the provided program was effective on the sexual function of pregnant women and the dimensions of psychological stimulation, vaginal moisture, and sexual pain in them.

The present study findings supported that the implementation of combined cognitive–behavioral therapy and counseling program based on Islamic spiritual teachings could positively impact the sexual function of pregnant women.