Comparing the efficacy of treatment based on acceptance and commitment and short-term solution-oriented treatment on marital intimacy of addicted men's wives in Azadshahr city

This research aimed to compare the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and short-term Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) on sexual intimacy in the wives of addicted men in Azadshahr City. The present study employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population included the wives of addicted men in Azadshahr City during the first three months of 2022. The wives were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to three intervention groups: Group 1 (15 participants receiving Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Group 2 (15 participants receiving short-term Solution-Focused Therapy), and a control group (15 participants). Data were collected using the Sexual Intimacy Inventory (Bagarozzi, 2001). The results demonstrated that both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and short-term Solution-Focused Therapy significantly increased sexual intimacy in the wives of addicted men compared to the control group (p < 0.05). This effect was sustained during the follow-up period. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and short-term Solution-Focused Therapy on sexual intimacy in the wives of addicted men (p > 0.05). Therefore, these two therapeutic approaches can be employed as sustainable interventions to enhance sexual intimacy in the wives of addicted men in healthcare and treatment centers.