The Effectiveness of Integrative Intervention of Conjoint Sex Therapy and Satir relational model on Self-esteem and Marital Intimacy of Couples with Sexual Dissatisfaction

Sexual dissatisfaction is a reason for marital conflicts and stresses and ignoring it causes irreparable damages to marital and social relations of people. Psychological effects of unsolved sexual problems and its annoying difficulties make negative effects on other parts of couples' life and cause many dysfunctions on different aspects of the family structure.

The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of integrative intervention of conjoint sex therapy and Satir Relational model on self-esteem and marital intimacy of couples with sexual dissatisfaction referred to Malayer counseling centers. The research design was quasi-experimental method with pre-test, post-test by experimental and control groups and a three months follow up. The statistical population consisted of all couples in Malayer who had sexual problems referred to counseling centers in 2021 and 2022, among them 20 couples who were dissatisfied in their sexual relation (getting the score of 25 to 50 from Hudson sexual satisfaction questionnaire) selected by available sampling. Then they assigned randomly in two experimental and control groups (10 couples for each group). The couples of both groups completed questionnaires of sexual self-esteem and marital intimacy. After that, the couples of experimental group (10 couples) were educated by integrating treatment of conjoint sex therapy and Satir relational model during 9 sessions, but control group not received any treatment. When intervention completed, the couples of both groups answered research questionnaires. Then the data were analyzed by Covariance analysis method.

The results supported that integrating intervention by conjoint sex therapy and Satir relational model affected on self-esteem (sig=0/001) and marital intimacy (sig=0/001) of couples in the experimental group, so the difference between sexual satisfaction of couples in two groups were statistically meaningful. It means that the integrating intervention was effective (p<0/001).

According to the results of this study, integrating intervention of conjoint sex therapy and Satir  relational model affected on self-esteem and marital intimacy of couples with sexual dissatisfaction.