Investigating the effectiveness of rational-emotional-behavioral couple therapy on improving the quality of life and reducing marital burnout of married men and women

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of rational-emotional-behavioral couple therapy in improving the quality of life and reducing marital burnout of married men and women. The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the present study included all married men and women who were referred to Razi counseling centers in Karaj City in 2020, out of which 100 people were selected and pre-tested by the available sampling method. Then, among these married men and women, 24 people with low quality of life and high marital burnout were randomly placed in two groups (12 people in the experimental group and 12 people in the control group). The measurement tools included the Pines's Couple Burnout Measure (CBM, 1996) and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life-BREF Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF, 1996). The experimental group underwent the intervention based on Ellis's (2010) cognitive-emotional-behavioral couple therapy twice a week during seven two-hour sessions. Multivariate covariance analysis was used to analyze the data. The results of multivariate covariance analysis showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there is a significant difference between the post-test average of quality of life and marital burnout in the two experimental and control groups at the p<0.05 level. As a result, rational-emotional-behavioral couple therapy can be used as an effective approach to improve marital quality and reduce marital burnout of married men and women.