The results indicate that resilience-based training has a significant impact on the marital adjustment of couples seeking divorce. The findings of this study are consistent with the research results of [12], [13], [14], and [15]. Marital adjustment is a concept first introduced by Spanier. He describes marital adjustment as a condition where the husband and wife mostly feel happy in life and are satisfied with each other, and the satisfying relationship between the couples can be evaluated through mutual interest, caring for each other, and mutual understanding [16]. Marital adjustment is an adaptive behavior where couples respond to each other's needs. Throughout this process, spouses learn how to collaborate and adapt to each other over time and adjust themselves to various arising situations. Marital adjustment is a factor that enhances family well-being and happiness.
In contrast, marital discord means dissatisfaction, lack of happiness, disagreement in decision-making, and inappropriate communication. On the other hand, marital discord is associated with multiple negative consequences, such as increased psychological problems, divorce, and other social harms [17]. Resilience is a construct that can play a role in reducing marital discord and the risk of divorce. The concept of resilience creates an optimistic perspective to facilitate individual growth and development after difficult circumstances [18]. Resilience addresses the issue that an individual, despite facing intense pressures and risk factors, can improve their social skills and overcome challenges. Resilient factors enable individuals to use their existing capacities for success and life growth in difficult situations and amidst risk factors, benefitting from these challenges as opportunities for empowerment and emerging stronger from them [19]. Resilience is defined as the successful adaptation ability to difficult conditions and helps the individual show flexibility against everyday life stresses, adapting themselves to environmental changes. Consequently, daily stress events cannot cause serious harm to the individual, and on the other hand, low resilience makes it difficult for the individual to return to their previous state after facing stressful events [20]. Although resilience is somewhat a personal characteristic and the result of environmental experiences, individuals can increase their resilience capacity by learning certain skills. In other words, resilience is not a fixed and immutable personality trait; individuals have the capacity for its reconstruction [21].
Resilience is a critical concept in psychology and social sciences that refers not only to individual capability but also to how an individual interacts with his or her environment. This has been a subject of extensive study and discussion for years and has been mainly pursued by scientists such as John Barman, Michael Collins, Herbert Mitsui, and John Gray. Resilience essentially addresses the human ability or inclination for independent decision-making and the selective absorption of information under various societal and cultural influences. This concept is fundamentally an attempt to understand what choices individuals make through limitations, pressures, and various influences, including social and cultural concerns.
One of the key aspects of resilience is examining the impact of society and community on human thinking. In other words, how do people unconsciously make decisions under the influence of culture, collective beliefs, and societal expectations? This subject delves into the role of media, advertising, family, friends, and other social factors in shaping individual perspectives and choices.
In addition, resilience also explores the subject of personal thinking and inclinations. Do people prefer independent and autonomous thinking, or do they rely on external factors? Can the fear of diverse opinions and criticisms influence people's decisions? This phenomenon is observed in various contexts, including politics, culture, religion, and science.
In summary, resilience is a complex and fundamental concept in the study of psychology and human thought that allows us to better understand the various factors influencing our decisions and thoughts. This concept provides us with a new perspective on the complexities of human psychology and guides us toward a deeper understanding of human behavior and decision-making.
The second hypothesis test also showed that resilience training led to an increase in the quality of life for couples. The study by Hajati and colleagues [22] showed that increased resilience has a significant relationship with improved quality of life in parents of children with major thalassemia, which aligns with the findings of this current study. Ranjbar and colleagues [23] also showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between resilience and quality of life. The findings of the current study are also consistent with the results of research by Abbasi and colleagues [24], Naderi and colleagues [25], Ahmadi and colleagues [26], Karimian Abdar, Karimi Afshar [27], Yusof Vand and colleagues [28], and Abdoli, Zabih Zadeh [29].
In explaining these findings, it can be said that resilience training provides a belief in ability and an optimistic philosophy toward life. It is one of the constructive elements that helps individuals bridge the gap between their own strengths and limitations. In other words, it helps restore self-belief and gives people the courage to act. Through this process, individuals become aware of their own values and understand their strengths and assets. Therefore, resilience training increases people's empathy, which in turn raises their quality of life. People with a higher quality of life demonstrate more flexible behaviors and establish better relationships with others. These flexible behaviors lead to better problem-solving and understanding of situations. In fact, individuals who have a positive evaluation of their life experience greater peace and can categorize the received information more broadly and diversely. As a result, they have more diverse implications for a subject. Individuals with a high quality of life show greater perseverance in solving life challenges and show greater resilience against adverse feedback from their environment. As a result, they can express higher levels of positive emotions. This makes them capable of nurturing it within themselves, becoming resilient against stress and other negative aspects that put their mental health and well-being at risk.
Participation in group resilience training sessions helped couples accept their problems and deal with them logically. Expressing both successful and unsuccessful experiences in the presence of others with many shared characteristics likely gives one a sense of self-awareness, intimacy, accountability, and self-efficacy. In another interpretation of these results, it can be said that resilience teaches individuals three components through a composite definition of beliefs about oneself and the world. These three components are commitment, control, and challenge seeking. In fact, a belief in change, transformation, and the dynamics of life—along with the perspective that not every event necessarily constitutes a threat to human safety and health—results in cognitive flexibility and tolerance in the face of challenging stressors and ambiguous situations.
Resilience training also reduced marital dissatisfaction among couples seeking divorce. The current findings are in line with research studies from Emadi and colleagues [30], Zarei [31], Mehdi Gholi and colleagues [32], and Nisi and colleagues [33]. Given that dissatisfaction is somewhat linked to accumulated stressors in life, it can be said based on these findings that resilient people are less likely to experience marital dissatisfaction. In fact, resilient individuals, due to their internal characteristics and capabilities, including flexibility and high adaptability to life conditions, better manage stress and discomfort. This capability gives resilient people the ability to manage challenging and stressful life situations, facilitates positive growth and balance for the individual, and helps people cope more easily with conditions, resulting in less stress and consequently less dissatisfaction. This study faced some limitations, some of which are mentioned:
1- The results of this study are not generalizable to the entire population of couples seeking divorce in Tehran and other cities.
2- The data collection for this study was conducted via questionnaires, and the participants themselves reported their own information. This could be associated with response bias in the research.
3- Some couples, for various reasons such as work commitments or skepticism about the effectiveness of the training, were not willing to participate in the study.