Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy in enhancing marital intimacy and marital functioning among Iranian couples affected by addiction.

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) in improving marital intimacy and marital functioning among Iranian couples affected by addiction. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was used. The study population consisted of couples seeking services at counseling clinics in Tehran who reported difficulties in marital intimacy and marital functioning associated with addiction. Twenty couples were recruited through purposive convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (10 couples) or a control group (10 couples). Data were collected using the Marital Intimacy Scale and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Both groups completed the measures at baseline. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of EFCT, while the control group received no intervention. One week after the intervention, both groups completed the posttest assessments. The results showed that EFCT significantly increased marital intimacy and improved marital functioning among couples affected by addiction compared with the control group. Overall, the findings indicate that EFCT is an effective intervention for enhancing relationship quality in this population. By strengthening emotional bonds, fostering secure attachment, improving emotional responsiveness, and restructuring maladaptive interaction patterns, EFCT contributes to greater marital intimacy and healthier marital functioning. Therefore, we recommend integrating EFCT into addiction treatment and family counseling services to enhance relationship quality, strengthen family functioning, and improve the psychological well-being of couples affected by addiction.