Effect of Cognitive Restructuring and Psycho-Educational Therapies in Fostering Marital Harmony among Couples in Domestically Abused Marriages in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of cognitive restructuring and psycho-educational therapies in fostering marital harmony among couples in domestically abused marriages in South-South Nigeria, with marital efficacy and trust as moderating variables. A pre-test, post-test control group quasi-experimental design was adopted for this study, with 81 (eighty-one) couples as participants. The result indicates that the expressed marital harmony of couples in domestically abused marriages in the experimental groups (cognitive restructuring training and Psycho-Educational training groups) improved positively after training, unlike those in the control group. Cognitive restructuring had the highest adjustment impact on marital harmony, followed by Psycho-Educational therapy. A significant moderating effect of marital efficacy was observed on participants' marital harmony. It was recommended that counsellors should expose couples experiencing domestic abuse to therapeutic interventions applying cognitive restructuring and psycho-educational training techniques.