The Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Couple Therapy on Marital Satisfaction and Adjustment in Couples with a Spouse Diagnosed with Leukemia

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of solution-focused couple therapy (SFCT) on marital satisfaction and adjustment among couples coping with spousal leukemia. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design with a three-month follow-up was employed. The target population comprised all couples in which one partner was diagnosed with leukemia, receiving outpatient care at the Cancer Research Center of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in ۲۰۲۲. A purposive sample of ۳۰ couples was randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a waitlist control group (n=۱۵n = ۱۵n=۱۵ couples per group). The experimental group received eight weekly ۹۰-minute group sessions of MacDonald’s (۲۰۰۷) solution-focused couple therapy protocol, while the control group received no therapeutic intervention during this period. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at the ۳-month follow-up using Hudson’s Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS) and Spanier’s Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) was performed using SPSS (Version ۲۶). Results: The results of the present study showed that solution-focused couple therapy has an effect on marital satisfaction and adjustment in couples with a spouse with leukemia (P<۰.۰۵), and this effect was stable at a three-month follow-up (P<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: Solution-focused couple therapy is a viable, strengths-based intervention that enhances relationship quality and relational resilience in couples facing the burdens of leukemia. Incorporating SFCT into standard supportive and psychosocial oncology programs is strongly recommended.

کلیدواژه ها:

Solution-Focused Couple Therapy (SFCT) ، marital satisfaction ، Dyadic adjustment ، Spousal leukemia ، Psycho-oncology ، Couple resilience