Comparison of the effectiveness of schema therapy and treatment based on improving the quality of life on marital intimacy in women affected by infidelity

Marital infidelity is one of the most important factors that threaten performance, stability and continuity of marriage and main reason that brings couples to family counseling centers for divorce. The present study was conducted with aim of comparing the effectiveness of schema therapy and therapy based on improving the quality of life on marital intimacy in women affected by infidelity. This research was a semi-experimental type with pre-test and post-test design and control group with two-months follow-up. The statistical population was all women affected by infidelity in 2020- 2021 in the city of Tehran, and the statistical sample was 45 women who were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of 15 people. Schema therapy group was intervened during 8 sessions of 90 minutes and the treatment group based on quality of life during 10 sessions of 90 minutes once a week. The research tool included Walker & Thompson's Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (MIS) (2003). In order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistical indicators, variance analysis test with repeated measurements and covariance test were used. The results showed that 54/2% of marital intimacy is under the influence of two treatments. The main effect of group is significant for intimacy (F=24/56, P=0.000, 0.210). However, there was no difference between the effectiveness of two treatments in increasing intimacy. It is concluded that schema therapy and therapy based on improving the quality of life are effective on increasing intimacy in women affected by infidelity.