Shenakht Journal of Psychology & Psychiatry

Introduction: Infertility imposes serious psychological, emotional, and social challenges on women, which can compromise their mental well-being. Therefore, identifying effective therapeutic approaches to reduce these consequences is essential.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) on psychological pain, emotional regulation, and belief in a just world among infertile women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included 350 infertile women who referred to the Jahad Infertility Center in Arak in 2024. Thirty participants were selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (15 participants each). The research instruments were: the Orbach & Mikulincer Psychological Pain Questionnaire, the Williams Emotional Control Scale, and the Golparvar & Arizi Belief in a Just World Scale. Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA/ANCOVA) via SPSS version 26.
Results: The results of the analysis of covariance indicated that Emotion-Focused Therapy led to a significant reduction in psychological pain scores (p < .001), improvement in emotional control (p < .001), and an increase in the belief in a just world (p < .001) in the intervention group compared to the control group. The effect sizes calculated for these variables were 0.39, 0.37, and 0.26, respectively, indicating a strong effect of the intervention.
Conclusion: Emotion-Focused Therapy significantly improved psychological pain, emotional regulation, and belief in a just world among infertile women. This therapeutic approach is recommended for mental health professionals working with infertile women in infertility treatment centers.