Document Type : Original Article
Researchers
1 M.A. student in career counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Ministerial Ethics Committee
Title and Introduction:
This study evaluates the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on reducing marital burnout, alexithymia, and rumination in couples with frequent marital conflicts. Marital conflicts, characterized by disagreements and incompatible goals, are common and impair mental health and family cohesion (Bagheri et al., 1403). Persistent conflicts lead to marital burnout, marked by physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion, reducing intimacy and increasing dissatisfaction (Pines, 1996). Alexithymia, the inability to identify and express emotions, hinders emotional intimacy and exacerbates conflicts (Alqahtani, 2023). Rumination, repetitive negative thinking, further intensifies marital discord and mental health issues (Marini et al., 2024). The high prevalence of these issues in Iran, influenced by cultural factors, and the limited research on ACT’s integrated impact necessitate this study (Ahmadzadeh et al., 1402).
Objectives and Hypotheses:
The study aims to assess ACT’s effectiveness in reducing marital burnout, alexithymia, and rumination in conflicted couples. Hypotheses state that ACT significantly reduces these variables compared to a control group.
Methodology:
A quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design, involving 30 couples (60 individuals) from Khorramabad counseling centers, randomly assigned to ACT or control groups (15 couples each). ACT includes 8 weekly 90-minute sessions based on Daks & Rogge (2024). Measures include CBM, TAS-20, and RRS. Data will be analyzed using MANCOVA in SPSS v26.
Ethical Considerations:
Informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation are ensured. Exclusion criteria include severe psychiatric disorders and concurrent therapies. Interventions are non-invasive, conducted in a safe environment to minimize harm.