Comparison of the Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Marital Aggression and Dissatisfaction of Conflicted Couples in Shiraz City

Objective: Marital conflicts cause disruption in family functions. Therefore, the aim of the current research was to compare the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and emotion focused therapy on marital aggression and dissatisfaction of conflicted couples in Shiraz City. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population consisted of conflicted couples who referred to counseling centers in Shiraz City, from which ۳۶ people (۱۸ couples) were selected as available ,and were randomly placed in two test groups, ۱ and ۲ (۱۲ people in each group), and a control group (۱۲ people). The first experimental group received dialectical behavior therapy (۸ sessions of ۹۰ minutes), the second experimental group received emotion-focused therapy (۸ sessions of ۹۰ minutes), and the control group was placed on the waiting list. Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to collect information. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance and SPSS software. Conclusion: The results showed that both dialectical behavior therapy and emotion-focused therapy reduce marital aggression and dissatisfaction of conflicted couples. However, the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on reducing these psychological issues was significantly superior to emotion-focused therapy (P<۰.۰۵).