Marital conflict is a significant psychosocial challenge that undermines partners' well-being, parenting practices, and overall family dynamics.
Behavioral Family Therapy (BFT), rooted in behavioral principles such as reinforcement, skills training, and communication enhancement, has long been employed as an intervention for distressed couples. Despite extensive empirical research, there is still no definitive agreement regarding its comparative effectiveness against other therapeutic models. This systematic review was conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. Comprehensive searches were carried out in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest up to June ۲۰۲۵. Search terms included behavioral marital therapy, behavioral couples therapy, integrative behavioral couple therapy, marital conflict, and family therapy. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental designs published in English that focused on married or cohabiting couples experiencing relational distress. Extracted data encompassed study design, intervention type, participant characteristics, conflict measurement tools, and effect sizes. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Out of ۱,۲۷۶ identified records, ۱۲ studies with a combined sample of approximately ۱,۲۰۰ couples of Bias tool. met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included both traditional Behavioral Marital Therapy (BMT) and Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT). Findings consistently indicated moderate to large reductions in marital conflict, with effect sizes ranging from d = ۰.۶۵ to ۰.۸۵. IBCT, which integrates strategies of acceptance alongside behavioral change, demonstrated superior long-term outcomes compared to BMT. Couples receiving BFT reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction, enhanced communication, and reduced escalation of Behavioral Family conflict, with improvements maintained over follow-up periods of six months to three years. Therapy is an effective approach for reducing marital conflict. Integrative approaches, in particular, appear to yield more enduring benefits. Future research should prioritize standardized outcome measures, long-term follow-up, and cross-cultural validation.
