TWO THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS ON MARITAL DISTRESS AMONG MARRIED CONGREGANTS IN THE PROVINCE OF ONDO, ANGLICAN COMMUNION, NIGERIA

Abstract

Marital distress, which usually manifests in sadness, anger, infidelity, lack of trust and depression, has threatened the joy of most blissful homes in Nigeria with attendant breakdown in marital relationships. This trend is on the increase, even among Christian faithful, including members of the church leadership in the Anglican Communion. Previous studies have focused more on marital conflicts, anxiety, harmony and satisfaction than on functional psychological interventions that are fundamental to the established association between psychopathology and marital functioning. This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of Marriage Education (ME) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in managing marital distress among married congregants in the Province of Ondo, Anglican Communion, Nigeria. The moderating effects of gender and self-concept were also investigated.

The study was anchored on Attachment Theory of Marriage, while the pretest-posttest control group quasi experimental design with a 3x2x3 factorial matrix was adopted. The Province of Ondo Anglican Communion with a high rate of marital distress among her congregants was purposively selected, while two dioceses (Ondo and Owo) were randomly adopted. The Cathedral of Owo Diocese, Ondo Cathedral and the main Parish Church in Bolorunduro under the Diocese of Ondo were purposively selected for their high number of divorced single parents. Seventy-eight married congregants who scored 90.0% and above in their responses to the Marital Distress Scale were purposively selected and randomised into ME (26), ACT (26) and control (26) groups. Interventions lasted 10 weeks. Marital Distress (α=0.89), Relationship Assessment (α=0.77) and Self-Concept (α=0.79) scales were used. Data were analysed using Analysis of covariance and Scheffe post-hoc test at 0.05 level of significance.

There was a significant main effect of treatment on managing marital distress among married congregants (F(2; 63)=2100.14, partial η2=0.99). Participants in ME had highest mean score (92.15) compared to those in ACT (x̅= 61.15) and control (111.50) groups. There was a significant main effect of gender on marital distress among the married congregants (F(1; 63) = 18.26, partial η2 = 0.23). Male participants had higher post treatment mean score (92.10) than female (81.13). There was a significant main effect of self-concept on marital distress among the married congregants (F(2; 63) = 19.42, partial η2 = 0.38). Participants with high self-concept had highest post treatment mean score (93.17), followed by those with moderate self-concept (89.89) and low self-concept (78.66) congregants. The two-way interaction effect of treatment and self-concept (F(2; 63) = 1.74, partial η2 = 0.05) was significant in favour of congregants with moderate self-concept from ACT group, while the two-way interaction effects of treatment and gender,and gender and self-concept were not significant. The three-way interaction effect was also not significant.

Marriage education, more than acceptance commitment therapy was potent in the management of marital distress among married congregants in the Province of Ondo, Anglican Communion, Nigeria. These interventions should be adopted in the management of marital distress among congregants with consideration for gender and self-concept.