Comparison of the Effectiveness of Written Emotional Expression Strategy and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy on Treatment Adherence in Infertile Women

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of written emotional expression strategy and rational emotive behavioral therapy on treatment adherence in infertile women.

Methodology: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of infertile women living in Tehran in 2023. A total of 45 participants were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: written emotional expression (n=15), rational emotive behavioral therapy (n=15), and control (n=15). The written emotional expression group received 8 sessions of 15–30 minutes, and the rational emotive behavioral therapy group received 12 sessions of 60 minutes. The Treatment Adherence Questionnaire by Seyed Fatemi et al. (2017) was used, and data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.

Findings: Results showed that both interventions significantly improved treatment adherence components compared to the control group (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the effects of the two interventions (p>0.05). The improvement remained stable at the two-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Both interventions effectively enhanced treatment adherence in infertile women. Implementing such interventions may promote mental health and improve therapeutic outcomes in this population.