Volume 32, Issue 1 (3-2025)
RJMS 2025, 32(1): 1-12 |
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Research code: IR.IAU.Yasuj.REC.1401.024
Ethics code: IR.IAU.YYasu.REC.1401.02
Clinical trials code: IR.IAU.YAZD.REC.1401.024
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Shahinejad M, Kharamin S A, Rasouli S Y. The Effectiveness of Reality Therapy on Depression, Dysfunctional Attitudes, and Emotional Processing in Women Affected by Infidelity. RJMS 2025; 32 (1) :1-12
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-9165-en.html
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-9165-en.html
1- PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Yasuj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran ,sapootang@yahoo.com
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran ,
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (61 Views)
Background & Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of reality therapy and schema therapy on depression, dysfunctional attitudes and emotional processing of women affected by infidelity in Isfahan city.
Marriage has been expanded as a useful and structuring factor in societies and to meet the personal needs of individuals, and after marriage, couples expect themselves and their spouses to remain sexually and emotionally faithful during marriage, but sometimes there are many problems in Marital relationships which occur, which are referred to as extramarital relationships. In other words, one of the harmful factors in the family structure and relationships between couples is the violation of commitment and trust, which is dealt with in the form of betrayal or extramarital relations. Nowadays, extramarital relationships have acquired various dimensions and cause serious damage to family relationships, and research findings also show that extramarital relationships are associated with a high prevalence today. The meaning of extramarital affairs or betrayal is establishing a meaningful emotional, sexual, supportive and relational relationship with someone other than a spouse or life partner. An extramarital relationship violates an implicit or written commitment that people have made to each other, and the person who breaks the commitment causes severe mental and physical damage to the person is committed to.
Methods: Semi-experimental research method with a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design with a control group and a statistical population including all women affected by the infidelity of a spouse in Isfahan city, with the sampling method available from among the betrayed women who referred to the crisis intervention counseling center of the welfare organization, 45 people were selected. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and control group (15 people), but at the end, 12 women remained in the reality therapy group and 13 women remained in the control group. The experimental group underwent reality therapy during 8 sessions of 90 minutes. Data collection tools included Beck Depression Questionnaire (1996), Wiseman and Beck Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire (1978), and Bakker et al.'s Emotional Processing Questionnaire (2010). To analyze the data, statistical methods of variance analysis with repeated measurements were used.
Results: Reality therapy had a significant and lasting effect on reducing depression, dysfunctional attitudes and improving emotional processing.
The results of Table 3, in the variables of depression, dysfunctional attitudes and emotional processing, the main effect of time and the interaction effect of time and group are statistically significant. The significance of the time effect means that there is a significant difference in the variables of depression, ineffective attitudes and emotional processing in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Also, the significance of the effect of group and time means that there is a significant difference between the two experimental and control groups in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up in the variables of depression, ineffective attitudes and emotional processing. The main effect size of the interaction between group and time means this, In the variable of depression 41%, dysfunctional attitudes 37% and emotional processing 27% of the scores due to changes caused by time and the difference between the two experimental and control groups and these changes have become significant in a stable manner. Therefore, it can be said that reality therapy had a significant and lasting effect on reducing depression, dysfunctional attitudes and improving emotional processing. The results show the difference between the three stages of the test regarding the effectiveness of reality therapy on depression, dysfunctional attitudes and emotional processing.
Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that the reality therapy method can be used for psychological and personality problems of people referring to psychological counseling centers. It can be said that the reality therapy method, due to strengthening the skills of attention and emphasis on the present and how to focus on the current behavior, controls the mental ability of people to control unpleasant and inflexible thoughts and emotions that cause a feeling of helplessness and causes mental flexibility and Staying away from automatic thoughts and real and logical cognitive perceptions in them, thus, in addition to reducing depression and dysfunctional attitudes, it strengthens a person's ability to process positive emotions. In another explanation, reality therapy helped women in the experimental group to plan and commit to carrying out plans and strengthened their emotional management skills and responsibility for behavior so that they could live a peaceful life. With this new way of thinking (responsibility for their behavior and emotions) that women gained from reality therapy training, they were able to control ineffective and irrational attitudes resulting from their spouse's infidelity more effectively and prevent depression. Another reason for explaining the effectiveness of reality therapy is that women in the experimental group, by accepting the realities of life and not denying reality, and by strengthening their sense of responsibility, achieved self-regulation skills for emotions, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological processes in adjusting, regulating, and controlling the experience and expression of emotions and positive behaviors, and thus achieved a realistic view of life and were able to manage and control irrational thoughts resulting from their spouse's infidelity.
Marriage has been expanded as a useful and structuring factor in societies and to meet the personal needs of individuals, and after marriage, couples expect themselves and their spouses to remain sexually and emotionally faithful during marriage, but sometimes there are many problems in Marital relationships which occur, which are referred to as extramarital relationships. In other words, one of the harmful factors in the family structure and relationships between couples is the violation of commitment and trust, which is dealt with in the form of betrayal or extramarital relations. Nowadays, extramarital relationships have acquired various dimensions and cause serious damage to family relationships, and research findings also show that extramarital relationships are associated with a high prevalence today. The meaning of extramarital affairs or betrayal is establishing a meaningful emotional, sexual, supportive and relational relationship with someone other than a spouse or life partner. An extramarital relationship violates an implicit or written commitment that people have made to each other, and the person who breaks the commitment causes severe mental and physical damage to the person is committed to.
Methods: Semi-experimental research method with a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design with a control group and a statistical population including all women affected by the infidelity of a spouse in Isfahan city, with the sampling method available from among the betrayed women who referred to the crisis intervention counseling center of the welfare organization, 45 people were selected. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and control group (15 people), but at the end, 12 women remained in the reality therapy group and 13 women remained in the control group. The experimental group underwent reality therapy during 8 sessions of 90 minutes. Data collection tools included Beck Depression Questionnaire (1996), Wiseman and Beck Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire (1978), and Bakker et al.'s Emotional Processing Questionnaire (2010). To analyze the data, statistical methods of variance analysis with repeated measurements were used.
Results: Reality therapy had a significant and lasting effect on reducing depression, dysfunctional attitudes and improving emotional processing.
The results of Table 3, in the variables of depression, dysfunctional attitudes and emotional processing, the main effect of time and the interaction effect of time and group are statistically significant. The significance of the time effect means that there is a significant difference in the variables of depression, ineffective attitudes and emotional processing in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Also, the significance of the effect of group and time means that there is a significant difference between the two experimental and control groups in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up in the variables of depression, ineffective attitudes and emotional processing. The main effect size of the interaction between group and time means this, In the variable of depression 41%, dysfunctional attitudes 37% and emotional processing 27% of the scores due to changes caused by time and the difference between the two experimental and control groups and these changes have become significant in a stable manner. Therefore, it can be said that reality therapy had a significant and lasting effect on reducing depression, dysfunctional attitudes and improving emotional processing. The results show the difference between the three stages of the test regarding the effectiveness of reality therapy on depression, dysfunctional attitudes and emotional processing.
Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that the reality therapy method can be used for psychological and personality problems of people referring to psychological counseling centers. It can be said that the reality therapy method, due to strengthening the skills of attention and emphasis on the present and how to focus on the current behavior, controls the mental ability of people to control unpleasant and inflexible thoughts and emotions that cause a feeling of helplessness and causes mental flexibility and Staying away from automatic thoughts and real and logical cognitive perceptions in them, thus, in addition to reducing depression and dysfunctional attitudes, it strengthens a person's ability to process positive emotions. In another explanation, reality therapy helped women in the experimental group to plan and commit to carrying out plans and strengthened their emotional management skills and responsibility for behavior so that they could live a peaceful life. With this new way of thinking (responsibility for their behavior and emotions) that women gained from reality therapy training, they were able to control ineffective and irrational attitudes resulting from their spouse's infidelity more effectively and prevent depression. Another reason for explaining the effectiveness of reality therapy is that women in the experimental group, by accepting the realities of life and not denying reality, and by strengthening their sense of responsibility, achieved self-regulation skills for emotions, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological processes in adjusting, regulating, and controlling the experience and expression of emotions and positive behaviors, and thus achieved a realistic view of life and were able to manage and control irrational thoughts resulting from their spouse's infidelity.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Clinical Psychiatry
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