New approaches in education and health sciences management

New approaches in education and health sciences management

The Effect of Schema-Based Couple Therapy on the Level of Depression in Women Affected by Spousal Infidelity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
ُSolmaz Ammari 1
Ezat Deyreh 2
Moloud Keykhosrovani 2
Kamran Ganji 3
1 PhD in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran
2 Department of Psychology, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran.
3 Department of Psychology, Malayer Branch, Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran.
10.22034/edus.2025.545183.1006
Abstract
Background and Aim: Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders among women and has various individual, familial, and social consequences. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of couple therapy based on the schema model on depressive symptoms in women affected by spousal infidelity.
Methods: This semi-experimental study included all women affected by spousal infidelity who referred to counseling centers and psychological service clinics affiliated with the Welfare Organization of Bushehr in 2021. Using convenience sampling, 30 women who were willing to participate in the study (with written informed consent) were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 2013) was used to collect data. The experimental group received schema-based couple therapy sessions based on Young’s approach (10 sessions, 120 minutes each) in a group format. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21, and repeated measures ANOVA was applied.
Results: The findings showed that schema-based couple therapy was effective in improving depression in the experimental group. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach was maintained over time from the post-test to the follow-up phase. Multiple comparison tests indicated that depression scores in the experimental group significantly decreased in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, schema-focused couple therapy, by targeting the deep-rooted relational and emotional problems, is an effective intervention for reducing depression in women affected by spousal infidelity. This therapeutic approach helps identify and modify maladaptive schemas, thereby improving quality of life and marital relationships. It is recommended that counseling and therapy centers adopt this approach as a standard intervention protocol in cases of marital infidelity and its psychological consequences to achieve more sustainable treatment outcomes
Keywords
Couple Therapy
Depression
Women
Spousal Infidelity

Ethics Approval ID: IR.BPUMS.REC.1399.169

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New approaches in education and health sciences management
Volume 2, Issue 2
August 2025
Summer 2025
Pages 13-19

  • Receive Date 27 April 2025
  • Revise Date 10 May 2025
  • Accept Date 22 June 2025