Background & Aims: Marriage is a bond that binds not just two people who hope to be in love forever, but two families built on completely different foundations, traditions, value systems, and lifestyles. Therefore, it is not unusual for this encounter to lead to a host of adjustment, emotional, financial, and psychosocial problems (1). Reviewing these problems leads to marital conflicts and differences in the process of cooperation, interaction, and their daily communication (2). In general, marital conflicts occur when there is a lack of agreement and lack of compatibility between couples (3). The incompatibility of couples causes the absence of marital well-being, which also leads to feelings of anger, frustration and dissatisfaction (9).
Psychological well-being includes self-acceptance, positive relationships with others, autonomy, mastery of the environment, purposeful living, and personal growth. Couples with high psychological well-being perceive more pleasant experiences and suffer less from pleasant emotions (10). In this regard, Azarnik et al. (1400) showed that communication skills training can increase the level of marital satisfaction and lead to the reduction of marital conflicts (11).
On the other hand, communication skills are those skills through which people can engage in interpersonal interactions and the communication process; A process during which people share their information, thoughts, feelings with each other through verbal and non-verbal exchange (14).
According to the stated content, it should be kept in mind that the present research is based on this basic question: Is there a relationship between the effectiveness of life skills training and communication skills on marital conflicts, conflict resolution styles and psychological well-being of incompatible spouses?
Methods: In order to carry out this practical and quasi-experimental research, which was carried out with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group, among the incompatible couples who referred to the psychological service centers of Kermanshah in 1400, who volunteered and through an invitation to participate in this course. 45 people had registered and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. Before and after the intervention, all the subjects completed the revised questionnaire of marital conflicts and psychological well-being. Also, the interventions of the two groups were conducted as a group for 13 sessions of 45 minutes and twice a week. Finally, the data were analyzed with SPSS-26 software and statistical tests of one-way analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of covariance and Benferoni's post hoc test.
Results: The results of the Wilkes lambda test with the value (F(8,21)=113.113, P=0.000<0.05) indicate the impact of life skills training on marital conflicts at the 5% error level. It was also found that after controlling the effect of the pre-test, life skills training is effective on marital conflicts (F(1,28)=865.617, p<0.05) (Table 3).
Another finding showed that life skills training has an effect on the psychological well-being of couples (F(6,23)=114.234, P=0.000<0.05). Also, after controlling for the effect of the pre-test, it was found that life skills training is effective on psychological well-being. F(1,28)=534.878, p<0.05) (Table 4).
The results of the Wilkes Lambda test with the value (F(8,21)=115.310, P=0.000<0.05) indicate the effectiveness of communication skills training on marital conflicts. Also, after controlling the pre-test effect, the effectiveness of communication skills training on marital conflicts was confirmed (F(1,28)=631.731, p<0.05) (Table 5).
Another finding showed that communication skills training has an effect on the psychological well-being of couples (F(6,23)=130.589, P=0.000<0.05). And after controlling the pre-test effect, communication skills training has an effect on psychological well-being (F(1,28)=502.673, p<0.05) (Table 6).
According to table (7), by controlling the pre-test scores, the effect of the group on the post-test scores of marital conflicts is significant (F(1,42)=470.868, p<0.05). So that after the intervention, the scores of marital conflicts have decreased significantly. According to these findings, it can be said that teaching life skills and communication skills has improved marital conflicts in incompatible spouses. Also, according to the results of Benferoni's follow-up test, teaching life skills and communication skills led to a decrease in average marital conflicts in incompatible spouses. There was no significant difference between the effect of life skills training and communication skills training on marital conflicts of incompatible spouses.
According to table (8), by controlling the pre-test scores, the effect of the group on the post-test psychological well-being scores is significant (F(1,42)=417.792, p<0.05). So that after the intervention, psychological well-being scores have increased significantly. According to these findings, it can be said that teaching life skills and communication skills has improved the psychological well-being of incompatible spouses. According to the results of Benferoni's follow-up test, teaching life skills and communication skills led to an increase in average psychological well-being in incompatible spouses. There was no significant difference between the effect of life skills training and communication skills training on the psychological well-being of incompatible spouses.
Conclusion: The results showed that life skills training has a significant effect on psychological well-being. In reference to this finding, it is possible to refer to the study of Khenifar (2013), which showed that teaching life skills through self-awareness training, a person becomes aware of his physical, mental, emotional characteristics, and thoughts, especially his emotions in the present moment, by teaching life skills The method of decision-making, problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking and controlling emotions, coping with stress and communication skills, teaches flexibility to a person so that he can identify and criticize different solutions in the face of challenges (36).
The results showed that communication skills training has a significant effect on marital conflicts. In explaining the effectiveness of communication skills training based on the modification of initial incompatible schemas on the reduction of marital conflicts, it can be said that since conflict is an integral part of marital relations and one of the common family problems that has attracted the attention of therapists, investigating the causes of conflicts and Also, strategies to reduce marital conflicts can have a significant effect on improving marital relations, so it can be concluded that communication skills training sessions are based on correcting incompatible schemas, learning communication skills, correcting schemas, feedback and training (39).
The results showed that communication skills training is confirmed on psychological well-being and it can be said that communication skills training has a significant effect on psychological well-being and its components. This means that proper communication increases the emotional and emotional intimacy of couples. If a couple can communicate in the right ways, they will not only have effective communication but also increase intimacy between them. On the other hand, increasing intimacy and emotional companionship of husband and wife increases their sensitivity towards each other; As a result, their emotional intercourse also increases (43).