Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy on Marital Commitment and Marital Burnout among Couples with Marital Conflicts: A Randomized Trial

Any problem faced by maladjusted couples has roots in their little knowledge of their own moods, emotions, and personality traits. The present study investigated the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) on marital commitment and marital burnout among couples with marital conflicts.

This quasi-experimental research was performed based on a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of all couples who visited the couple therapy clinics of Mahshahr, Iran, in 2019. Using convenience sampling, 60 participants were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The research tools included the Marital Burnout Questionnaire and Marital Commitment Questionnaire. The experimental group participated in eight sessions of SFBT, whereas the control group only received routine counseling. At the end of the intervention, participants were administered a post-test and a follow-up questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software-23.

The mean of post-test scores for marital commitment and marital burnout were 196.10±18.72 and 48.81±5.32 in the experimental group and 100.27±5.43 and 75.79±4.28 in the control groups, respectively. The results showed that the mean score of marital commitment was higher and the men score of marital burnout was lower in the experimental group than in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was significant (p<0.001).

SFBT was effective in reducing couples’ marital burnout and improving their marital commitment. Therefore, this intervention is recommended to be used in counseling centers to reduce marital conflicts in couples