The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on maladaptive schemas in women with marital problems

Introduction: Marital satisfaction is important in the continuation of the main marital life and it is important to identify the factors and effective interventions in strengthening it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on early maladaptive schemas of women with marital problems. Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and control group. The statistical population included all women referring to counseling centers in Tehran in 1398. Among them, 32 people were selected by purposive sampling method based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (16 people in each group). The experimental group underwent 12 sessions of 90 minutes of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Data collection tools were the Young Schema Questionnaire and the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software and multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in reducing early maladaptive schemas in women with marital problems (P <0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, behavioral cognitive therapy can be used as an effective intervention in improving early maladaptive schemas in designing programs related to promoting family health and couple relationships. Keywords: Cognitive-Behavioral, Women, Marital Satisfaction, Early Maladaptive Schemas