The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Psychological Flexibility and Suicidal Ideation in Women with Experiences of Spousal Infidelity

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological flexibility and suicidal ideation in women with experiences of spousal infidelity. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest structure and a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with experiences of spousal infidelity who were referred to the Arsam Psychological and Counseling Services Center in Tonekabon in 2026. Using convenience sampling, 28 participants were selected and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups, with 14 participants in each group. Data collection instruments included the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire developed by Dennis and Vander Wal and the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire developed by Keith. The experimental group received cognitive behavioral therapy during eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance in SPSS software. Findings: The findings indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly improved psychological flexibility in women with experiences of spousal infidelity. The results of covariance analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in posttest psychological flexibility scores after controlling for pretest scores (F = 53.56, p < .001, η² = .59). In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduced suicidal ideation among participants in the experimental group compared with the control group (F = 45.32, p < .001, η² = .56). Conclusion: The findings suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective psychological intervention for increasing psychological flexibility and reducing suicidal ideation among women affected by spousal infidelity.