Transdiagnostic model of healing from marital infidelity with emphasis on the role of metacognitions, schemas, intimacy, emotional efficiency and forgiveness

Infidelity is a common issue in couple therapy and is known as a common and challenging clinical problem for both clients and therapists. The aim of present research was to evaluate the fit of the transdiagnostic model of healing from marital infidelity.

The research method was a descriptive-correlational type of structural equation model. The statistical population of the research included all betrayed women who had referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2019. These women had not received any therapeutic measure before this research. From this population, 400 people were selected using available sampling method. Participants were assessed with the questionnaires of the relationship healing after marital infidelity (Momeni, 2013), the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) (Wales, 2004), early maladaptive schemas (Young, 1998), Bagarozzi intimacy (Bagarozzi, 2001), Forgiveness (Ray, 2001), and Emotional Efficiency (Mazlum et al., Subprint). Data were analyzed using structural equation method and LISREL and SPSS software.

The results showed that the early maladaptive schema (T-Value= -3.93), metacognition (T-Value= -2.05), emotional efficiency (T-Value= 3.41), intimacy in the relationship (T-Value= 4.53) and forgiveness based on personal values (T-Value= 6.24) had a significant direct and indirect effect on healing from marital infidelity. The early maladaptive scheme did not have a significant direct effect on forgiveness (T-Value= -1.77). In addition, there was no significant effect in mediating forgiveness between the early maladaptive schema and healing from marital infidelity (T-Sobel= -1.113). The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the transdiagnostic model of healing from marital infidelity could predict healing from infidelity (R2= 79). The present model had a good fit with the research sample data. (RMSEA=0.013, Chi-Square/df=1.073, SRMR=0.023, GFI=0.88, AGFI=0.87, NFI=0.99, CFI=1, IFI=1, RFI=0.99). Discussion and

According to the achieved results, it can be concluded that this model can improve the researches related to the healing from marital infidelity and facilitate clinical treatments related to this issue.