Comparison of the Effectiveness of Boeing Family Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Based Therapy (ACT) on Marital Satisfaction of Mothers with Single Children

Background & Aims: One of the areas that has undergone change in Iran is childbearing. Statistical data show a decrease in the fertility rate in the last few decades; To the extent that in recent years the number of children of a mother is less than the required index in replacing generations (1/2 children) (1). This downward change in fertility rate indicates a change in the fertility of Iranian families and their desire for one child. On the other hand, having one child is the result of any factor or factors, creating a fundamental change not only in the demographic structure and socialization of the family, but also in various aspects of school performance and all aspects of the individual's personality in the future. There are many treatments for psychological disorders today. Each of these therapies may be stronger and more specialized than the other. Third wave therapies focus more on families and proper communication, because human beings are social beings and the type of communication style they have with others has a great impact on their mental health and that of their families (3). Among the important therapies for the component of marital satisfaction in families, especially mothers, is the Boeing therapy and the new ACT therapy, which largely complements cognitive-behavioral therapy. These treatments can increase family cohesion and raise children properly. Among these therapeutic interventions is Bowen's treatment, whose approach is family therapy. Bowen's family therapy approach deals with the family as an emotional unit and a network of intertwined relationships that must be analyzed from a different context or historical perspective to better understand it. Bowen believes that the whole family system is an emotional unit that cannot be separated from each other or successfully (5). In other words, the foundation of this theory is based on the concept of separation. Bowen family therapists believe that all the problems in family functioning, including marital dissatisfaction in the couple, which has a negative effect on the children and causes emotional divorce, arise from inappropriate family systems. Accordingly, the main goal of Bowen's therapies is to reduce chronic anxiety by being aware of the family's emotional system, focusing on changing oneself rather than trying to change others (6). On the other hand, ACT therapy is rooted in a philosophical theory called functional contextualism and is based on a research program on language and cognition called the theory of the framework of mental relationships (7). Despite the many studies on the effectiveness of ACT therapy on anxiety, depression, heart disease, marital conflict, marital satisfaction and many more; However, no research has been conducted on the effectiveness of ACT therapy on cognitive emotion regulation; Research has also been conducted on other variables in the field of Boeing family therapy; But so far little research has been done on marital satisfaction. Therefore, considering the significant effects of cognitive emotion regulation on many aspects of a person's development and interpersonal relationships, the need for such research and the application of its results is clearly understood. In order to compare the effectiveness of Boeing family therapy and ACT treatment on differentiation, the following hypotheses are proposed. Methods: This research was conducted by quasi-experimental method and using a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental groups and a control group. The independent variables of the study were Boeing family therapy and ACT treatment method and the dependent variable was marital satisfaction. The dependent variable scale was collected in two stages: pre-test and post-test. The statistical population of this study was all single mothers of preschool children in Kermanshah in the spring of 1399. The sampling method was simple by using random sampling and assignment. Forty-five mothers of preschool children were randomly selected and due to the prevalence of coronary heart disease in online sessions, intervention sessions were held for them through online sessions. The subjects' marital satisfaction scale was measured using the Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire for every 45 people (pre-test). Then, by simple random sampling, individuals were assigned to three groups of 15 people (two experimental groups and one control group). The experimental group members separately participated in eight 1.5-hour weekly sessions of the Boeing Family Therapy and ACT, conducted by a trained therapist, and the control group was placed on a waiting list. Meetings were held at Setareh Preschool Center on a weekly basis for two months. Participants in the sessions expressed their willingness to cooperate to receive intervention and participate in the research. Analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to analyze the data. Results: The Benferoni post hoc test is performed to compare between the control group, ACT and Bowen. As can be seen in Table 5, there is no significant difference in marital satisfaction scores between the ACT and Bowen groups, and therefore Bowen-based therapy and ACT-based therapy have the same effect on marital satisfaction. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Boeing family therapy and ACT treatment on cognitive emotion regulation of single mothers in preschool centers in Kermanshah. Stable and meaningful. Also, Bonferroni post hoc test showed that due to the differences in the comparison of these two interventional methods, the effectiveness of Buenie family therapy and ACT treatment on marital satisfaction is the same. The findings of the present study on the effectiveness of Boeing family therapy interventions on marital satisfaction are not unexpected and are consistent with the results of a large number of previous studies. The results showed that there was no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores in the Boeing family therapy method and the ACT method on marital satisfaction. Couples in Buenos Aires believe that the phenomenon of marriage requires a high degree of adaptability. None of the couples feel safe and caring if there is no normal and acceptable level of adaptation in the marriage. In addition, marital intimacy requires a strong sense of self-awareness and self-differentiation. Couples with low levels of differentiation and high fusion are not able to understand their desires in the relationship, therefore, this process has a negative effect on their life satisfaction, when these couples with factors the change of role that reduces satisfaction, they face, they feel failure. Couples who are able to accredit themselves instead of seeking approval have a better working spirit in marriage.