مقایسه اثربخشی الگوی مک‌مستر و زوج‌درمانی هیجان‌مدار بر خودتنظیمی هیجانی، مهارت‌های ارتباطی و کیفیت رابطه جنسی زنان متقاضی طلاق

زهرا  پارسی‌نژاد; وحیده باباخانی; فاطمه  علیجانی; جعفر  پویامنش

Authors

Zahra Parsinejad PhD Student, Department of Counseling, Ab.C., Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1261-4766
Vahideh Babakhani Department of Counseling, Ab.C., Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran Corresponding author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9071-0871
Fatemeh Alijani Department of Counseling, Ab.C., Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2777-4746
Jafar Poyamanesh Department of Counseling, Ab.C., Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3125-6868

Keywords:

women seeking divorce, sexual relationship quality, McMaster Model , communication skills, emotional self-regulation, Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the McMaster model and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) in improving emotional self-regulation and communication skills among women seeking divorce who attended counseling centers in Zanjan, Iran. This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest and follow-up design with two intervention groups and one control group. The statistical population comprised women seeking divorce who attended counseling and psychological service centers in Zanjan during 2024–2025. A total of 60 eligible women were selected through multistage sampling and randomly assigned to the McMaster model, EFT, and control groups, with 20 participants in each group. The two experimental groups received ten 90-minute intervention sessions, whereas the control group remained on a waiting list. Data were collected using standardized measures of emotion regulation and communication skills. Data analysis was performed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons in SPSS version 26. The multivariate time × group interaction was statistically significant (Wilks’ Λ=0.246, F=18.76, p<0.001, partial η²=0.40). Significant time × group interactions were also observed for emotional self-regulation (F=27.41, p<0.001, partial η²=0.49) and communication skills (F=30.22, p<0.001, partial η²=0.52). Both interventions produced significantly greater improvements in emotional self-regulation and communication skills than the control condition (p<0.001). Bonferroni comparisons further indicated that the McMaster model was significantly more effective than EFT in improving emotional self-regulation (mean difference=4.65, p=0.004) and communication skills (mean difference=4.35, p=0.006). Both the McMaster model and EFT were effective in improving emotional self-regulation and communication skills among women seeking divorce. However, the McMaster model demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness on both outcomes, suggesting that its structured, systemic approach may be particularly useful in family counseling interventions for women experiencing severe marital conflict.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alirezaei, A., & Izady, R. (2025). Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Couple Therapy on Marital Satisfaction, Marital Function and Obsessive Symptoms in Couples with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Shahroud Journal of Medical Sciences, 11(2), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.22100/ijhs.v11i2.1173

Beasley, C. C., & Ager, R. (2019). Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: A Systematic Review of Its Effectiveness over the Past 19 Years. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 16(2), 144-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/23761407.2018.1563013

Carr, A., Finneran, L., Boyd, C., Shirey, C., Canning, C., Stafford, O., Lyons, J., Cullen, K., Prendergast, C., Corbett, C., Drumm, C., & Burke, T. (2024). The Evidence-Base for Positive Psychology Interventions: A Mega-Analysis of Meta-Analyses. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(2), 191-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2168564

Colucci, L. (2026). Family Processes in the Year Following Brief and Virtual Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Groups: Child and Family Trajectories and Mental Health Service Utilization University of Waterloo].

Greenman, P. S., Campbell, T. L., & Allan, R. (2024). Attachment, Emotion, and Change: Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) within a Process-Based Therapy (PBT) Framework. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 32, 100768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2024.100768

Griffes, S. E., & Blow, A. (2024). Integrating Common Factors in Couple Therapy. In (pp. 99-118). Guilford Press.

Hertlein, K. M., & Washington, A. N. (2024). The State of Couple and Family Therapy Internationally. In (pp. 3-10). Routledge.

Joseph, B., Joseph, V. K., & Rajan, S. K. (2025). Effectiveness of Couple Interventions in Marital Distress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 54(1), 112-123. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i1.17581

Lebow, J. L., & Carr, A. (2025). Systemic Therapy for Adults and Family Functioning Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Lebow, J. L., & Snyder, D. K. (2022). Couple Therapy in the 2020s: Current Status and Emerging Developments. Family Process, 61(4), 1359-1385. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12824

Lebow, J. L., & Snyder, D. K. (2024). Voices in Couple Therapy: Journeys with Master Clinicians. In (pp. 1-16). Guilford Press.

Lombana Mims, T. (2026). The Relationship between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms and Reading Abilities and the Moderating Roles of Parent-Teacher Involvement and Family Emotional Expressiveness University of the Pacific]. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/4337

Mark, K. P., & Lasslo, J. A. (2018). Maintaining Sexual Desire in Long-Term Relationships: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(4-5), 563-581. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2018.1437592

Rathgeber, M., Bürkner, P. C., Schiller, E. M., & Holling, H. (2019). The Efficacy of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Behavioral Couples Therapy: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of marital and family therapy, 45, 447-463. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12336

Reiter, M. D. (2024). An Introduction to Couple Therapy. In. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003369097-1

Spengler, P. M., Lee, N. A., Wiebe, S. A., & Wittenborn, A. K. (2024). A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy. Couple and family psychology: Research and practice, 13(2), 81-99. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000233

Velten, J., & Margraf, J. (2017). Satisfaction Guaranteed? How Individual, Partner, and Relationship Factors Impact Sexual Satisfaction within Partnerships. PLoS One, 12(2), e0172855. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172855

Wiebe, S. A., Elliott, C., Johnson, S. M., Burgess Moser, M., Dalgleish, T. L., Lafontaine, M. F., & Tasca, G. A. (2019). Attachment Change in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Sexual Satisfaction Outcomes in a Two-Year Follow-Up Study. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 18(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2018.1481799

Wiebe, S. A., & Johnson, S. M. (2016). A Review of the Research in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. Family Process, 55(3), 390-407. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12229

Wiebe, S. A., Johnson, S. M., Moser, M. B., Dalgleish, T. L., & Tasca, G. A. (2017). Predicting Follow-Up Outcomes in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: The Role of Change in Trust, Relationship-Specific Attachment, and Emotional Engagement. Journal of marital and family therapy, 43(2), 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12199

Wright, R. N., Adcock, R. A., & LaBar, K. S. (2025). Learning Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Framework. Psychological review, 132(1), 173-203. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000506