The Impact of “Excitement-focused Therapy” on increasing the matrimonial adaptability of infertile (sterile) couples

Various factors may influence matrimonial adaptability among couples, one of which is infertility. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of excitement-focused therapy on increasing matrimonial adaptability of infertile couples. The present study was a quasi-experimental one. The sample in this study was composed of 12 couples (6 couples of infertile males and 6 couples of infertile females) that have been diagnosed as infertile by obstetricians and gynecologists and were assumed as incompatible according to the Spanire matrimonial adaptability. These couples were divided into two control and experimental groups. Excitement-focused therapy sessions (EFT) were held for 6 couples (3 couples of infertile husbands and 3 couples of infertile wives), and 6 couples (3 couples of infertile males and 3 couples of infertile females) waiting for the therapy (as the control group). Control and experimental groups were controlled on the basis of age, educational level, occupation, income, gender, cause of infertility, duration of infertility, number of surgeries done, the time of last surgery, the history of attending in psychological and consultation sessions and the background of their chronic physical and mental diseases. In order to examine the impact of excitementfocused therapy on the increase of the adaptability level in infertile couples, Whitney Uman Test (based on the difference between scores of two groups in pre and post-test) was used. Excitement-focused therapy has significantly increased the level of matrimonial adaptability, co-agreement, expression of love, matrimonial satisfaction and solidarity (unity) of couples (p=0.0001). Excitement-focused therapy can increase matrimonial adaptability of infertile couples.