Acceptance and Commitment Group Training based on Improve Positive Emotions towards the Spouse in Women with Emotional Divorce

The aim of this study is group education based on acceptance and commitment (ACT) on positive emotions towards the spouse in women who have undergone emotional divorce. The research method was quasi-experimental: pretest-posttest and two-month follow-up. The statistical population included married women in the situation of emotional divorce who consulted with Yazd Family Counseling Center in 2020. All women who used the services of this center completed an emotional divorce questionnaire. Individuals undergoing emotional divorce were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (20 people in each group). Both groups completed a questionnaire of positive emotions towards their spouse and the experimental group was exposed to eight 90-minute weekly sessions based on acceptance and commitment training. In the end, the questionnaire was administered again in both groups and in the follow-up period after 8 weeks, and both groups completed the questionnaires. The results of analysis of covariance showed that teaching an approach based on acceptance and commitment improves positive emotions towards the spouse in married women suffering from emotional divorce. Thus, ACT skills lead to cognitive evaluation of emotions, decrease in negative emotions, increase in positive emotions and adaptive behavior, and ultimately lead to increased cognitive regulation of emotions.