Comparison of the Efficacy of Integrative Couple Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy on Symptoms of Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Caused by Extra-Marital Relations in Couples

Family therapists and marriage counselors each year confront with many couples that are faced with the problem of infidelity. This study was made to compare two methods of couple therapy for improving relationships after infidelity. A quasi-experimental study (pre-test، post-test، and follow-up) using two experimental groups and one control group. The samples include all couples involved in marital infidelity problem husband referred to specialized clinics and psychological counseling in Isfahan in 1390. To investigate research assumptions، 45 couples were selected through available sampling، and placed randomly in the Integrative Couple Therapy (15 couples)، Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (16 couples) and control group (14 couples). For data collection، Beck Depression Inventory and PTSD Symptoms Scale Self Report (PSS-SR) was applied. The experiment groups were exposed to 8 session''s couple therapy، the control groups was not exposed to any intervention. Data were analyzed by analyses of multivariate analyses of variance-1 way (MANOVA-1 way) and post hoc test (T tukey). The results showed that between experimental and control groups in dependent variables (depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms)، there are significant differences (P<0/01). The results also showed that two approaches (Integrative Couple Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy) in reducing depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms in short term and long term effects are almost identical. The results indicated that Integrative Couple Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy can reduce psychological traumatic cause by betrayed wife And use these two approaches to working with couples involved in marital infidelity is recommended.