The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Differentiation of Self and Emotional Control among Couples with Marital Maladjustment

Abstract

Introduction: The family is the most important constituent of the society and marital maladjustment isconsidered as a threat to growth and development in marital life. This study was conducted aimed to evaluatethe effectiveness of group schema therapy on differentiation of self and emotional control in couples withmarital maladjustment.Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, during October 2018 to January 2019, among couples withmarital maladaptation referring to counselling centers in Tehran, 16 couples were selected using purposefulsampling. Participants were assigned into two groups using block randomization. The experimental groupreceived eight 90-minute sessions of Schema Therapy on weekly and based on Young Manual and thecontrol group was placed on the waiting list. Questionnaires of Dyadic Adjustment, emotional control anddifferentiation were completed by the participants in two stages. Data were analyzed using multivariateanalysis of covariance in SPSS 21 software.Results: Primary outcomes showed that schema therapy had a significant effect on the four dimensions ofdifferentiation of self; including emotional responsiveness (p<0.05), my position (p<0.01), emotionaldigression (p<0.01), and interactions with others (p<0.01). Secondary outcomes also showed theeffectiveness of this intervention on emotional control in the form of emotional inhibition, aggressioncontrol,intellectual rumination and benign control(p<0.05) in couples.Conclusion: The findings of this study are in the line with the previous studies suggesting the role ofmaladaptive schemas in marital problems. Schema therapy had a significant effect on differentiation of selfand emotional control in couples with marital maladjustment.