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Background & Aim: Solution-focused brief therapy is one of the postmodern therapeutic approaches in the area of family and marriage, which puts emphasis on finding solutions by the client in cooperation with the therapist. The current research was conducted by the aim of investigating the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy on reducing couple burnout and improvement of the quality of life of married women. Methods: The current research is an interventional and quasi-experimental study which uses pretest-posttest with control group. The population of this research included all the women who attended the center of mental health helpers in bojnoord city during the summer of 1393 (2014), which were seeking to attend the treatment plan in order to resolve their marital problems. Based on available sampling and after the initial screening, 30 women who were qualified to participate in the research and who gained one standard deviation below the mean in the questionnaire were selected and they were placed in two groups of experiment and control through random assignment. The research tools were Pains couple burnout measurement 1996 (CBM) and the world health organization quality of life questionnaire 1996 (WHOQOL), that were completed by the participants in pretest and posttest stages. The treatment sessions of solution-focused brief therapy were performed in 7 two-hour sessions in groups and step-by-step for the participants of the experiment group, but the control group did not receive any intervention and they were put on the waiting list. The data were analyzed through MANCOVA (multivariate analysis of covariance) in the statistical software of SPSS, version 18. Results: The results indicated that after performing the solution-focused intervention, marital burnout among the women in the experiment group has reduced and their quality of life has been improved.no significance change was seen in the control group. Conclusion: The solution-focused brief therapy is effective in reducing marital problems. This brief therapeutic method can be used in counseling centers and family education classes in order to improve marital problems of the clients.

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Background & aim: Couple burnout is one of the phenomena which involve many couples, it is among the main causes of emotional divorce, and without proper management and treatment, and it can lay the ground for formal divorce among couples. Cognitive behavioral couple therapy is one of the existing approaches in the couple therapy field, the efficiency of which has been established for resolving many marital problems. The present study was designed by the aim of investigating the effect of group cognitive behavioral couple therapy on couple burnout and divorce tendency in couples.  

Methods: The present research was of applied research type. The research method was semi-empirical with a pretest-posttest with control group design. The research population included all the couples with marital conflict and problems who, after a recall announcement of the researcher, visited the counseling and psychological services center located in Gorgan city in 2014. By using the available sampling method, 20 couples were selected among the volunteer and qualified couples for the research, and they were assigned into experiment and control groups (10 couples per group) by random assignment. In the present research, the Pines burnout questionnaire (1996) and divorce tendency scale of Rouswelt, Johnson, and Mouro (1986) were used for gathering the data. After taking the pretest, the group cognitive behavioral couple therapy based on the couple therapy model of Baucom  and colleagues (2008) was held in 10 2-hour weekly sessions for the experiment group couples, while the control group couples received no intervention. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics method and multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) in SPSS v.20.

Results: The multivariate covariance analysis results for couple burnout (F= 28.80) and divorce tendency (F= 51.25) suggested that there was a significant difference between the couples of experiment and control groups (P< 0.01). According to the posttest scores of the experiment control groups for these two variables, it was recognized that the cognitive behavioral couple therapy has led to reduction in couple burnout and divorce tendency among the couples of the experiment group in comparison to the control group in the posttest stage.   

Conclusion: The research findings indicate that the cognitive behavioral couple therapy model can reduce marital problems, and using this couple therapy approach is recommended for working with the couples involved in marital problems with divorce demand.  

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Abstract
Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder has been characterized by problems in social function, communication and having repetitive and stereotype behaviors. Due to ample problems of such children, families and particularly mothers suffer from much tensions and psychological pressures. The present research was designed and conducted by the aim of investigating the effect of group-based hope therapy on resilience in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. 
Materials and method: The present research was a semi-experimental intervention which was conducted by using a pretest-posttest with control group design. The research population included all the mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder referring to Nedaye-Asr rehabilitation center (specialized for autism children), whose children were diagnosed to have autism disorder by psychiatrist, pediatrician and clinical psychologist. 30 mothers with autistic children were selected by available sampling method and were assigned into experiment and control groups through random assignment method. For collecting the data, the Connor- Davidson Resiliency Scale (2003) was used. After taking the pretest, subjects of the experiment group received 8 sessions of group-based hope therapy, while the control group were put in the waiting list. After finishing the sessions, the posttest was taken from both groups. The research data were analyzed by univariate covariance analysis test (ANCOVA) by using SPSS v18.
Results: The results of single-variable covariance analysis showed a significant difference in the resilience of the experimental and control group in the post-test (p <0.01). In other words, group hoped-up sessions increased the resilience of mothers in the intervention group (F = 121.76).
Conclusion:  It is recommended that Autistic Children's Centers across the country use an Interventional Hope Therapy Package to reduce psychological problems and promote the mental health of their parents.
 

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Abstract:
Background and aim: Cancer is classified as a chronic disease. In spite of medical advances, cancer treatment and an increase in the number of cancer patients, it remains unique in terms of frustration and deep fear in the person. Parents of children with cancer are more likely to experience psychological problems than those of healthy children, such as anxiety, depression, and stress and, in general, mental health threats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on the quality of life of mothers with a child with cancer.

Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study, a pretest-posttest with control group, among mothers of children with cancer who referred to the Cancer Children's Support Center in Tehran in 1395, 30 mothers were selected as on the basis of entry and exit criteria and was randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (each subgroup of 15 people). The quality of life of the subjects was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (ANKOVA). Participants in the experimental group were exposed to acceptance and commitment treatment for 8 sessions, while patients in the control group received no treatment. Data were analyzed using one-variable covariance test (ANCOVA).

Results: The mean and standard deviation of quality of life scores in the pre-testl group and in the pre-test were 70.4 ± 6.40 and 92.97 ± 13.35 respectively. In the control group, the mean and standard deviation of quality of life scores before and after the intervention were 69.07 ± 5.73 and 68 ± 7.58. The results of one-variable covariance analysis indicated that acceptance and commitment therapy significantly improved the quality of life of the experimental group in the post-test (F = 45.35, p <0.01).



Conclusion: Admission and commitment based interventions were effective in improving the quality of life of mothers of cancerous children. The treatment is recommended as an effective and appropriate treatment option to reduce the psychological problems of parents of children with chronic diseases.
 
 

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Background & Aim: Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system with various physical and psychological disabling symptoms that causes many problems for the patient. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of compassion-focused therapy on resiliency in women with multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This research was an experimental intervention using a post-test pre-test with control group. The research population consisted of all female patients with active case in MS Society of Tehran in 2016. The sample consisted of 30 female patients who were selected according to the criteria of entry and exit, and the acquired scores in the questionnaire were selected by random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The instrument was the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale. After taking the pretest from both groups, the experimental group received 8 consecutive two-hour treatment-centered compassion-based treatments in a group and weekly manner. The control group was placed on the waiting list. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using ANOVA test (ANCOVA).

Result: The mean and standard deviation of the scores of the subjects in the experimental group were 66.73±14.27 in the pre-test and 87.33±7.6 in the post-test phase. In the control group, the mean and standard deviation of the resiliency scores before and after the intervention were 59±16.01 and 58.8±15.85. The results of covariance analysis showed that there is a significant difference between the mean of the experimental and control groups with the control of the effect of the test (F=78.63 and p<0.01), which indicates the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy in increasing the resilience of the interventional subjects.

Conclusion: CFT, as a new therapeutic method, is likely to be an appropriate intervention for reducing psychological problems and increasing mental health among MS patients. It is recommended that MS associations across Iran would use this therapeutic method for enhancing psychological health of patients.

 

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Abstract                
Background & aim: Marital infidelity is considered to be one of the most important traumatic factors for couples and families, and it is also a prevalent phenomenon for family and marital therapists. One of the consequences of marital infidelity is rumination in the spouse affected by infidelity. The present research was conducted by the aim of investigating the effectiveness of group compassion-focused therapy on rumination in women affected by marital infidelity.
 
Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental study conducted by pretest-posttest and follow up with control group design. The current research population included all the women affected by marital infidelity who referred to Rastin, Aram, Taranom, and Baran psychological and counselling services centers in Gorgan, Iran, in 2019. The research sample composed of 24 women who were selected by purposeful sampling method and were put into experiment and control groups by random assignment method (12 subjects per group). Both groups were assessed using Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow’s ruminative response scale in pretest, posttest, and follow up stages. Group compassion-focused therapy was provided in 13 120-minute sessions for participants of the experiment group. The subjects of the control groups did not receive any intervention until the end of the follow up stage. The data were analyzed by variance analysis test with repeated measures in SPSS.
 
Results: Mean and standard deviation of the scores of rumination in the subjects of the experiment group were 58.08±2.84 in pretest, 52.50±5.74 in posttest, and 49.50±5.35 in the follow up. In the control group, mean and standard deviation of the scores of rumination were 59.08±0.92 before the intervention, 57.67±1.82 after the intervention, and 58.25±1.96 one month after the intervention. Results of the variance analysis with repeated measures indicated that group compassion-focused therapy has significantly reduced rumination in the intervention group in posttest and follow up stages (p<0.01, F=21.33).
 
Conclusion: Results of the present research confirmed the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy in reducing rumination among women affected by marital infidelity. Family counsellors and therapists can use this therapeutic model for reducing the traumas caused by marital infidelity.
 
       

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Background & aim: Mothers of children with Down syndrome face challenges in caring for their children which lead to decreased happiness among them. The present research was conducted by the aim of investigating the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on happiness among mothers of children with Down syndrome.
 
Methods: The present research was a semi-experimental study which used a pretest-posttest with control group design. The research population included all the mothers of children with Down syndrome referring to Navide Asr comprehensive rehabilitation center in Tehran in 2017. The sample included 40 mothers (20 subjects per group) who were selected by purposeful sampling method and were assigned into experiment and control groups through random assignment method. The participants of both groups completed the Demographic Information Questionnaire and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire in pretest and posttest stages. Sessions of weekly group positive psychotherapy were held in eight 90-minute sessions for the participants of the experiment group, but the control group participants received no intervention. Univariate analysis of covariance, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Levene’s Test in SPSSv20 was used for analyzing the data.
 
Results: Mean and standard deviation of the scores of happiness among the subjects of the experiment group were 39.95 ± 6.38 in pretest which equaled 59.45 ± 9.10 in the posttest. Also, in the control group, mean and standard deviation of the scores of happiness were 40.20 ± 6.06 and 38.65 ± 7.22 in pretest and posttest stages, respectively. Results of the covariance analysis indicated that, by controlling for the effect of pretest, there is a significant difference in between the mean scores of experiment and control groups suggesting the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy in increasing happiness among the experiment subjects (F = 95.76, P < 0.01).
 
Conclusion: Results of the present research confirmed the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy in improving happiness among mothers of children with Down syndrome. The results affirm the importance of applying this intervention on psychological symptoms of mothers of children with Down syndrome and offering new perspectives in clinical interventions.