Comparting the effectiveness of combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy in improving family functioning in couples with extramarital affairs

Extramarital affairs disrupt family functioning and have serious negative consequences for the family members.

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy in improving family functioning in couples with extramarital affairs.

In this quasi-experimental study, with a pretest-posttest control group design, the statistical population consisted of all couples, referred to the counseling centers of Mashhad, Iran in 2021. Thirty nine couples were selected using the convenience sampling method among people with extramarital relationships and randomly assigned to three groups: control group (13 couples), combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (13 couples), and integrative behavioral couple therapy (13 couples). The experimental and control groups completed the Family Functioning Scale by Epstein et al. (1983) before and after the interventions. In order to data analysis covariance analysis was performed in SPSS version 20.

Results indicated that the scores of all family functioning components significantly decreased in the intervention groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy was more effective in the dimensions of problem-solving and communication, while integrated behavioral couple therapy was more effective in emotional companionship (P<0.05).

According to the present results, both combined cognitive-behavioral therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy had positive effects on improving family functioning. Therefore, depending on the conditions and type of marital problems, therapists are suggested to use a combination of these two methods to improve family functioning in couples with extramarital relationships.