Effectiveness Of Marital Therapy Research Articles

The Solo Note: Therapy With One Spouse Through Systemic Individual Marital Therapy (SIMT)

The debate over conjoint versus individual marital therapy seemed to have ended many decades ago with criticisms and counter-criticisms. Yet, this skepticism in marital therapy literature about the effectiveness of marital therapy with 1 partner does not translate into efficient practice guidelines. In this article, the authors propose a new model for therapy with 1 partner using a systemic perspective with the aim to address marital and other issues, named systemic individual marital therapy (SIMT). The authors demonstrate this therapeutic reality first by using a case report that illustrates client material where a new individual therapy perspective is required. Then, the authors show findings from a brief qualitative research that emphasizes the importance of client experiences. SIMT goals, structures, processes, and conceptual issues are subsequently presented, followed by discussion on some of its theoretical positions.

The Evolution of Family Process: Contexts and Transformations1,2

The Evolution of Family Process: Contexts and Transformations1,2

The usefulness of cognitive restructuring as an adjunct to behavioral marital therapy

This investigation is the first controlled outcome investigation to evaluate the effectiveness of marital therapy which combines cognitive restructuring with commonly used behavioral marital therapy strategies. Twenty-four maritally distressed couples were assigned to one of two experienced marital therapists in one of three experimental conditions: behavioral marital therapy (BMT Alone); cognitive behavior therapy plus behavioral marital therapy (CBT+BMT); or a wait-list condition (WL). The results indicated that, overall, treatment was superior to the WL condition. Couples receiving both BMT Alone and CBT+BMT showed significant pretest to posttest improvements in overall marital adjustment and behavioral indices of change; only couples receiving CBT+BMT demonstrated consistent cognitive changes. However a direct comparison between BMT Alone and CBT+BMT indicated no significant differences between the two treatments. More detailed analyses found that approximately 50% of the couples receiving treatment moved into the nondistressed range of marital functioning by the end of treatment. Overall improvement was maintained at 6-month follow-up. Recommendations for future investigations are provided, encouraging movement toward more customized treatment for each couple.

The Effects of Marital Therapy on Sexual Satisfaction

Abstract Twenty couples with marital distress and for whom sexual functioning was not the primary referral problem received ten weekly sessions of marital therapy. Both partners completed the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, a measure of sexual functioning, before and after therapy. A significant improvement in the reported quality of the couples sexual functioning was found, particularly for the frequency of sexual intercourse, communication, and sexual satisfaction. It was concluded that behavioural marital therapy alone may be effective in the treatment of sexual problems.

The Effects and Effectiveness of Marital Therapy A Review of Outcome Research

The literature on outcome research in marital therapy is reviewed. Issues considered include the nature of outcome criteria, the need to establish a base line against which to measure improvement, and therapeutic effectiveness as a function of treatment type and time‐in‐therapy. The overall improvement rate across a heterogeneous collection of patients, therapists, and treatment modalities was 66 per cent, suggesting, conservatively, at least a moderately positive therapeutic effect in light of the judgment that “spontaneous” rates appear to be much lower in marital than in individual therapy. Evidence of deterioration in marital therapy also was discovered. No support was found for the contention that co‐therapy is more effective than treatment of the couple by a single therapist. The needs of future research in the outcome of marital therapy are discussed and possible fruitful directions for such investigations suggested.