Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Imago Therapy Training on Cognitive Fusion in Emotional Divorce

The family is the first and most unique social institution and the health and well-being of a society is owed to the health and satisfaction of its members (1). The most prominent factor in the collapse of the family is the damage called divorce, which has devastating effects on the individual, the family and the community. Divorce may take place formally or legally or informally when the couple cohabites without intimacy and interest (2). Divorce is no longer an individual problem. Rather, it is a multi-stage process that is significant not only in terms of its effects on spouses and their children, but also because of its negative effects on society and the economy in general (7). In fact, emotional divorce is "the last step in a marriage." The rate of emotional divorces in the country is twice that of formal divorces. No action has been taken in relation to emotional divorce at home and abroad, and usually most actions are based on the emotional and emotional pressures of couples after divorce. The most important cause of divorce is the irresponsibility of the spouse (husband and wife) and the lack of adaptive skills (12). One of the factors that can affect general health and consequently the stability of married life is cognitive fusion (14). Cognitive fusion with misinterpretation and misinterpretation of couples can be a hidden factor for the expansion of married life. Cognitive fusion is a cognitive and social concept and confuses the person so much that after a while it is considered as a correct interpretation of personal experiences and can be distinguished from the real experiences of the person (15). One of the most important ways to form a cohesive family is family education, and if the teachings are appropriate to the knowledge of individuals and attractive, it can provide the necessary information transfer (21). Imagotherapy (communication imagery) is a paradigm that enhances couples' communication, corrects developmental stabilization, improves childhood injuries, increases differentiation from the other side, and also restores contact between them. Imago is a communication model of couple therapy in which behavioral and emotional interventions And uses cognition to facilitate understanding and inner change in couples. The goal is to revive the spiritual and emotional connection between couples to create a new goal for their marriage (22). Imagotherapy perspective believes that developmental stages in childhood, especially the child's early relationship with parents, affect their marital relationship during marriage (23). Other theorists have also attempted to explain family functioning. One of the most famous theorists in this field is schema therapy. Schema is a concept in cognitive psychology that examines how people think, perceive and process, and how they remember information (26). Schema therapy emphasizes cognition, emotion, behavior, parenting styles, parental message, attachment styles and unmet needs and the basic family system of the couple in the onset and continuation of marital problems and the role of the individual on the continuation of these problems in the present time. Emphasis on the relationships that exist in the present and its relationship to childhood and the emotions we have experienced in the past.Among the factors affecting the mental health of human beings, the family has a very important role, many mental and behavioral abnormalities of human beings are rooted in the family. Emotional divorce makes the couple sick and the children of the family suffer the most. Prolonged coldness of the relationship can cause depression and isolation of couples and mental disorders in them or lead to a series of infidelities that will cause serious harm to the family and society. Recognizing the symptoms and problems that lead to emotional divorce can be the first step to change. And identifying therapeutic interventions that improve couples' interpersonal relationships is clinically and theoretically important.
The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and imago therapy training on cognitive fusion in emotional divorce.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest and follow-up (quarterly) design with a control group. The statistical population of this study was the people who referred to Shahid Mofteh Judicial Complex in the west of Tehran in 2019. Purposeful sampling was used in this study. 137 clients who had referred to this branch to file a marriage complaint or request for divorce were selected according to the inclusion criteria and willingness to participate in the study. Then 101 people were initially evaluated according to Cochran's formula by the Emotional Divorce Questionnaire. After the number of clients reached the desired volume based on experimental theories, at least 15 people were considered for each group, and 45 people were randomly assigned to one of three groups: schema therapy, imago therapy, or control group. Interventions in two groups of schema therapy and imago therapy were held in parallel during 12 sessions of 90 minutes in groups and weekly. In order to analyze the hypotheses, multivariate analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test with repeated measures were used. In these analyzes, the effect of the control variable was removed from the dependent variable and then the groups were compared with each other. Data collection tools were demographic data sheet, Guttman (1997) Emotional Divorce Scale and Cognitive Fusion Scale (CFQ).

The results showed that no significant difference was observed between the groups in the pretest. But in post-test and follow-up, there was a significant difference between cognitive fusion in the schema therapy and imago therapy groups with the control group at the level of p <0.01. There was no significant difference between the two treatments and schema therapy. The results were stable at the stage.

According to the results, I can use two types of schema therapy and imago therapy on cognitive fusion in people involved in emotional divorce.We believe that the effectiveness of schema therapy is due to structural changes in the patient's personality, which is the goal of any schema therapist, and not only because of symptom improvements as a result of structural changes, but also due to initial emotional irregularity due to maladaptive regulatory strategy. Pathologies), gives way to emotional regulation (adults). Schema therapy and the need for new therapies, which can bring complete recovery to patients, will be a powerful boost to the study of new clinical applications of this model (34). Imago therapy training promotes dialogue between spouses, increases self-understanding and understanding of spouses, understanding of one's own childhood and spouse's childhood, as well as self-confidence (46).The present study, like other researches in the field of behavioral sciences, has faced limitations. Available sampling method Instead of non-random sampling, use self-reporting tool that can be considered as an internal interfering variable. schema therapy and imago therapy can be used to reduce the effect of rejection sensitivity and imago therapy can be used to reduce the variable of love addiction in people involved in emotional divorce.