The Cultural Tailoring and Effectiveness of Couples Coping Enhancement Training on Marital Adjustment of Wives

Objective: Marital adjustment of wives is associated with the satisfaction and stability of the marital life. It is among the most valuable perspectives for counselors and therapists focusing on improving couples’ relationships. This research was conducted with the aim of cultural tailoring and determining the effectiveness of “couples coping enhancement training” on improving marital adjustment of wives. Methods: The study has quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test and control/placebo group with 6 months of follow-up. The statistical population consisted of the couples referring to the court of Shahr-e Kord in spring 2017 because of marital problems. The study sample comprised 36 couples selected through convenient sampling method and 12 couples were assigned randomly to the experimental, placebo and control group each. The couples of the experimental group received the administration of “couples coping enhancement training” based on cultural tailoring in 9 group sessions once a week. The placebo group had sessions with a therapist in 9 group sessions once a week and control group did not receive any intervention. The dyadic adjustment Scale was used for data collection. The obtained data were analyzed by variance analysis with the repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS V. 21. Results: The couples receiving the couples coping enhancement training based on cultural tailoring reported a significant difference in the mean scores of marital adjustment of wives compared to placebo and control group couples in pre-test and 6 months follow-up (F=9.113, P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, couples coping enhancement training is an effective method for improving marital adjustment of wives.