Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Integrated Behavioral Couples Therapy on Intimacy and Family Functioning in Divorce-Seeking Couples

Background: Dysfunctional families suffer from poor communication, negative relationships, and countless conflicts, and achieving goals in such families is challenging and requires significant energy. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and integrated behavioral couples therapy (IBCT) in improving intimacy and family functioning in divorce-seeking couples in Bushehr in 2020. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study based on a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study population consisted of all married people applying for a divorce in Bushehr, Iran, 45 of whom were selected as the sample through convenience sampling and were randomly and equally assigned to three groups of 15. The research instruments included Walker and Thompson’s Intimacy Scale, and McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD). The data were statistically analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS software. Bonferroni's post hoc test was used to determine the mean difference between the groups. Results: The results showed a significant difference between ACT and IBCT groups and the control group in the post-test scores of intimacy and family functioning (P<0.001). Moreover, there was no significant difference between ACT and IBCT in improving intimacy and family functioning in divorce-seeking couples. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, both ACT and IBCT can be used for improving intimacy and family functioning between divorce-seeking couples.