Comparison of the effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) with relationship couple therapy (RCT) on enhancing couples mental health and marital satisfaction

The aim of this research was to compare and study the effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic (ISTDP) with relationship couple psychotherapy on enhancing mental health and marital satisfaction in a sample of the clients of counseling and psychology center. Forty five couples (30 experimental group, 15 control group) were included in this study. All participants were asked to complete pre-test and post-test Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issue, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).Analysis of the data involved both descriptive and inferential statistics including means, standard deviations, ANO VA and Shefe post Houk test. The results revealed that ISTDP and relational approaches were significantly effective on enhancing couples mental health and satisfaction. ISTDP was also significantly effective on different aspects of mental health including physical, anxiety and sleep, social function, and depress sings. RCP was also significantly effective on some aspects of rnental health including physical, anxiety and sleep. and social function sings. both ISTDP and RCP were significantly effective on some aspects of marital satisfaction including marital satisfaction .personality issue, relationship. conflict solving, finance management. sexual contacts, child nurturing, family and friends, and religious directions. ISTDP was significantly effective only on ideal distortion and the roles of equalization and RCP was effective only on leisure time and pastoral directions subscales