•Arch Hyg Sci 2015;4(2): 73-79. RESEARCH ARTICLE •Journal Homepage: http://jhygiene.muq.ac.ir The Effectiveness of Transactional Analysis Group-counseling on the Improvement of Couples’ Family Functioning Ghorban Ali Yahyaee a*, Rahmatollah Nooranipoora, Abdolla Shafiabadia, Valiollah Farzada a Department of Counseling, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran. *Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Ghorbal Ali Yahyaee; Email: [email protected] A-R-T-I-C-L-E I-N-F-O A-B-S-T-R-A-C-T Article Notes: Background & Aims of the Study: Family functioning is among the most important factors Received: Oct 18, 2014 ensuring the mental health of family members. Disorder or disturbance in family Received in revised form: functioning would cause many psychological problems for family members. Current study Dec 12, 2014 intended to examine the effectiveness of transactional analysis group counseling on the improvement of couple's family functioning. Accepted: May 11, 2015 Materials & Methods: The design of the study is as semi experimental research with Available Online: Jun 5, 2015 pretest and posttest with follow up and control group. Statistical population consists of all couples referring to the psychological and counseling centers of Rasht city in 2012. Keywords: Samples were selected at first by available sampling method and after completing family Transactional Analysis assessment device, and obtaining score for enter to research, were placement using random Group Counseling sampling method in two experimental and control groups (N = 8 couples per group). The Family Functioning experimental group participated in 12 sessions of group counseling based on transactional Couple analysis and control group received no intervention. The gathered data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: The results show that there are significant differences between the pre-test and post test scores of the experimental group. This difference is significant at the level of 0.05. Therefore it seems that transactional group therapy improved the dimensions of family functioning in couples. Conclusions: The results indicated that transactional analysis group counseling can improve the family functioning and use this approach to working with couples is recommended. Please cite this article as: Yahyaee GA, Nooranipoor R, Shafiabadi A, Farzad V. The Effectiveness of Transactional Analysis Group-counseling on the Improvement of Couples’ Family Functioning. Arch Hyg Sci 2015;4(2):73-79. Family functioning is among the most Background important factors ensuring the mental health of family members. Disorder or disturbance in Many of social problems such as addiction, family functioning would cause many divorce, and severe marital conflicts not only psychological problems for family members (3- threaten family members’ health, but also the 7). mental health of the whole society. In the Each of various family therapy theories has process of any kind of counseling, many of the certain arguments and strategies. Each observe problems often acknowledged by the clients can family from a different point of view, and be traced backed to their family relationships. define its functioning with a different Those who seek help for mental health, often explanation. Transactional Analysis (TA) complain about their problems with their developed by Eric Berne employs a tripartite partner or marital relationships and family model as ‘ego states’. This very personality functioning. Family is one of the most model helps understand how humans act and important institutions of any society (1,2). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archives of Hygiene Sciences Volume 4, Number 2, Spring 2015 © 2015 Publisher: Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Qom University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. 73 Yahyaee GA, et al./ Arch Hyg Sci 2015;4(2):73-79. • The Effectiveness of Transactional Analysis behave. TA also provides a theory of increase their self-knowledge, but is also able to ‘communications’ that can be applied to produce necessary dynamics for couples and analyze the relationships within family (8). TA improve family functioning through developing purpose is to release ‘adult ego state’ from the a skill of looking at the family as a system (19). adverse demands and impacts of ‘parent ego Aims of the study: Transactional Analysis is state’ and ‘child ego state’, and thereby bring among those theories resulted from the thoughts about favorable behavioral changes (9). TA is a and studies of Western scientists and experts method of healthy and coordinated interacting developed in social and cultural conditions with the environment by creating different from Iran. Therefore, it is necessary communicative perspectives and skills. Using for such theories to be tested by Iranian this method, therapists can take effective steps counselors and therapists in order to prevent to identify, treat and help individuals, especially any harm to the clients and clarify the extent of couples, development (8). their competence before supplying them to the Family functioning based on McMaster public. Considering that the healthy functioning model totally can be explained on seven of family is associated with increased health dimensions including problem solving, and well-being of family members (1-5), this communication, roles, affective responsiveness, study intended to examine the effectiveness of affective involvement, behavior control and transactional analysis group counseling on the general functioning (10). TA is one of the improvement of couple's family functioning. therapy methods that can be effective on the improvement of family functioning (11-17). Different studies have shown that Materials & Methods constructive communication pattern paves the This study is a semi-experimental research path for marital conflicts resolution and marital with pretest-posttest and follow-up design with stability. Couples who have participated control group. communication skills training sessions enjoy Available sampling method was used, and for more effective and efficient relationships, deal the implementation of sampling an better with each other and experience less advertisement to take part in counseling group conflict (11,12). Couples who have constructive sessions was published by the researcher and communication pattern, suffer from less marital distributed to psychological and counseling conflict. In fact, mutual constructive centers and school parents and teachers’ communication underlies marital satisfaction communities. After diagnostic interviews, and conflict, thus enhancing family functioning couples were chosen for the selection process to (18). attend the sessions and meet the inclusion Besides treating family as a system, TA criteria (having the cut scores at pre-test benefits from a set of ‘autognosis’-related questionnaire, age range of 45-20 years, concepts and techniques. Thus, enables the awareness of the problem, and lack of acute therapist not only to effectively address physical and mental disorders). Selected clinicians and their intrapersonal dynamics, but couples were randomly assigned in an also create regular effects through planning experimental and a control group. For the treatment interventions for discordant couples experimental group-counseling sessions with a and improve family functioning (19). Individual TA approach were held separately. Before the awareness and self-knowledge is closely implementation of the independent variable associated with improvements in family (group counseling practices) pre-test (Family functioning (20). In fact, TA not only informs Assessment Device) was performed. After the couples of their three personality estates and ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archives of Hygiene Sciences Volume 4, Number 2, Spring 2015 © 2015 Publisher: Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Qom University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. 74 • The Effectiveness of Transactional Analysis...... Yahyaee GA, et al./ Arch Hyg Sci 2015;4(2):73-79. implementation of the independent variable, The structure of group counseling sessions Family Assessment Device was performed The regularly scheduled meetings held each again. The results of each experimental group week for two hours had been arranged as were compared with the control group. following: in the beginning of each session, Furthermore, after two months in the follow-up participants' questions were answered in phase Family Assessment Device was relation to the weekly duties and their performed one more time. The measurement obligations of each week were checked. Then, instrument used for the dependent variable in the current session subjects were discussed with this study was the Family Assessment Device the participants, and at the end of each session (FAD). adequate explanation were given regarding Family Assessment Device (FAD): FAD is a assignment for the next week. self-report measure based on the McMaster Model of Family Functioning (MMFF) and Session I: introduction, statement of principles, describes the structural and organizational setting goals for the participants attending the properties of the family group and the patterns sessions, signing therapeutic contract. of transactions among family members. The Session II: structural analysis