Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused and Compassion-Focused Couple Therapy on Covert Relational Aggression and Psychological Well-being in Cardiovascular Patients

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy and compassion-focused couple therapy on covert relational aggression and psychological well-being in cardiovascular patients.   Methods and Materials: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a two-month follow-up and a control group. The research population consisted of cardiovascular patients referred to Razi Hospital in Ahvaz during the fall of ۲۰۲۳. The sample size included ۱۳ couples in each group, selected through purposive sampling. The experimental groups received eight ۹۰-minute sessions of emotion-focused and compassion-focused couple therapy, respectively, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were collected using the Covert Relational Aggression Scale (Nelson & Carroll, ۲۰۰۶) and the Psychological Well-being Scale (Najarian & Davoudi, ۲۰۰۱) and analyzed using chi-square tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS-۲۶.   Findings: The results showed that both emotion-focused and compassion-focused couple therapies led to a reduction in covert relational aggression and improvement in psychological well-being among cardiovascular patients, with the effects sustained at the follow-up stage (P < .۰۰۱). Furthermore, the difference between the two therapeutic methods in reducing covert relational aggression and improving psychological well-being was not statistically significant (P > .۰۵).   Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, therapists and health professionals can utilize both emotion-focused and compassion-focused couple therapy—alongside other therapeutic approaches—to reduce covert relational aggression and enhance psychological well-being in cardiovascular patients.

کلیدواژه ها:

Emotion-focused Couple Therapy ، Compassion-Focused Couple Therapy ، Covert Relational Aggression ، Psychological Well-Being ، Cardiovascular Patients