The Effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavioral Counseling Program in Reducing Psychological Stress and Increasing Marital Adjustment among Married Nurses in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governate

Abstract

This study aims to recognize the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral counseling program in reducing psychological stress and increaseing marital adjustment for married nurses in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governate. A semi- experimental design was used through sample of 30 married nurses, who recorded high degree in the psychological stress scale and low degree in the marital adgustment scale. They were divided into two groups: experimental and control. A psychological stress scale and marital adgustment scale were used to collect the data, while counseling program based on the cognitive theory was designed for the study, and was applied on the experimental group, in 12 sessions, two sessions weekly for 60 minutes each. The study results showed statistically significant differences between the experimental and the control groups in the post measurement on the psychological stress scale and marital adgustment, in favor of the experimental group. Differences between the pre and post measurement in the experimental group were also statistically significan in favor of the post measurement. Additionally, there were no differences between the post and the long term measurement in the experimental group, which indicates the effectiveness of the applied counseling program in reducing psychological stress and increaseing marital adjustment for married nurses in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governate, as well as in the 4 weeks follow- up period.