Comparing the effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on the action flexibility and psychological distress of women affected by infidelity

Introduction: Marital infidelity results in significant psychological distress and a reduction in action flexibility. Therefore, therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing action flexibility and alleviating psychological distress in women affected by infidelity should be prioritized. Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy in enhancing action flexibility and reducing psychological distress among women aged 20 to 40 who have experienced infidelity. Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design. A total of 45 women affected by their husbands' infidelity in 2023 were selected through simple random sampling from those referred to police counseling centers. Participants were divided into three groups: emotion-oriented therapy (n=15), cognitive-behavioral therapy (n=15), and a control group (n=15). They completed the Action Flexibility Questionnaire and the Psychological Distress Scale before the intervention, after the intervention, and again after a two-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis in SPSS 22. Results: The results indicated that both cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotion-oriented therapy were effective in enhancing action flexibility and reducing psychological distress (P < 0.01). However, cognitive-behavioral therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness in reducing psychological distress (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between the two therapeutic interventions in improving action flexibility (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of both cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotion-oriented therapy in enhancing action flexibility and reducing psychological distress in women affected by infidelity. Additionally, cognitive-behavioral therapy was more effective than emotion-oriented therapy in alleviating psychological distress.