Employing acceptance and commitment therapy as individual therapy for couple problems: a case study for women with marital strife

Abstract

Despite promising recent progress in the couple therapy, the potential benefits of applying individual therapy for couple problems (ITCP) have rarely been investigated. The current case study explores whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be effective in improving marital adjustment and marital commitment among distressed women. Three distressed women were assigned to a single-subject design, and core ACT interventions were used to help participants improve their marital relationships. Data was collected using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (DCI). Percentage of non-overlapping data (PND), effect size (d), standard mean difference (SMDall), and visual analysis were used as the analysis strategy. The findings of ACT's efficacy on dyadic adjustment were promising. Two participants demonstrated substantial improvements, while the third participant showed a slight improvement in marital adjustment and marital commitment. The study provides preliminary evidence that ACT can be an appropriate ITCP intervention to address marital issues for distressed women seeking therapy to improve their marital relationships.