Comparison of the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy based on attachment injuries and eclectic spirituality based schema therapy on hopelessness and mental health of women affected by husband's infidelity

Spousal breach of promise is a factor that undermines the hope and mental health of many women.

This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of emotion-based therapy based on attachment injury and spirituality-based schema therapy on hopelessness and mental health of women affected by the spousal breach of promise.

The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included women affected by the spousal breach of promise in the city of Bandar Abbas in the spring of 2021, and the sample group consisted of 48 people of these women who were purposefully selected and then randomly assigned into two experimental groups and one control group (16 people in each group). The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used to collect data. The emotion-based therapy based on attachment injury and the spirituality-based schema therapy was performed in 10 sessions of 90 minutes each. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and SPSS-26.

The results showed that after controlling the pretest, the effectiveness of treatment in reducing hopelessness (F=4.49, P=0.017) and increasing mental health (F=5.94, P=0.005) was significant. The comparison of groups showed that emotion-based therapy based on attachment injury effectively reduced hopelessness (P=0.014) and spirituality-based schema therapy effectively increased mental health (P=0.004).

The effectiveness of emotion-based therapy based on therapeutic attachment injury in reducing hopelessness and the effectiveness of spirituality-based schema therapy on mental health was confirmed in the present study. It is suggested that these two therapies be used to help women affected by the spousal breach of promise.