The Effectiveness of Compassion-Based Therapy on Psychological Helplessness of Women Affected by Extramarital Affairs

The occurrence of breach of contract has an important role in causing psychological problems and causes psychological helplessness and instability of marital relationships. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on psychological helplessness of women affected by extramarital affairs.

The present study was performed in a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all women affected by extramarital affairs who had referred to the Birjand Education Counseling Center in the second half of 1398. Among them, 30 women were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. Prior to the educational intervention, pre-test was performed in both groups. Data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire by Lavibund and Lavibund (1995). The method of performing the compassion-therapy intervention was training in 8 sessions for the experimental group and the control group did not receive any training. Then post-test was taken from both groups. Hypotheses were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance.

Compassion-based treatment was effective in reducing psychological helplessness in women affected by extramarital affairs and the mean score of psychological helplessness in the experimental group was lower than the control group (P <0.05).

Compassion-based treatment is effective in reducing the psychological helplessness of women affected by extramarital affairs of the spouse (P < 0.05).

Based on the findings of the present study, it is suggested that compassionate therapy intervention be used to reduce the psychological problems of women affected by extramarital affairs.