The Relationship between Dysfunctional Attitudes and Communication Skills of Women with an Addicted Husband on the Verge of Divorce

Background: Divorce and addiction are the source of numerous social damages. The main reasons for divorce include spouse addiction, sexual dissatisfaction, low living and communication skills of couples, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes, and irrational expectations of marriage. The present study was carried out with the aim to investigate the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and communication skills among women with an addicted husband on the verge of divorce referring to the forensic medicine and family court. Methods: This study was a descriptive and correlational study. The participants were selected from among all women on the verge of divorce with addicted husbands who referred to the forensic medicine and family court from October 2015 to March 2016. Thus, 190 individuals were selected using convenience sampling method. The researcher visited the study environment and after explaining the method and purpose of the study and obtaining informed consent from the subjects, distributed the questionnaires among the women. The questionnaire contained a demographic information form, the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) (Weissman and Beck), and the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) (Christensen and Sullawa). Data were analyzed using the Pearson test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software. Findings: There was a significant and inverse relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and communication skills of women. In addition, a significant and inverse relationship was observed between dysfunctional attitudes and constructive interaction among women. Moreover, there was a direct and significant relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and the mutual avoidance relationship among women. Furthermore, a direct and significant relationship was found between dysfunctional attitudes and the expectation/isolation relationship among women. Conclusion: The findings of this study could be used in cognitive training of spouses, the correction of their dysfunctional attitudes, and improvement of their communication skills.