<Institution>
Summary
Because of the prevalence of spousal emotional abuse, especially on women, it is considered as a significant societal problem that must be faced. According to several researchers, such as Dutton, Painter, Sackett and Saunders, psychological abuse leads to “serious negative psychological outcomes for the abused partner” (as cited in Reed and Enright, 2006). These effects include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, learned helplessness, resentment, and low self-esteem. However, no kind of treatment has been empirically validated to be effective. One of the available treatments for the negative effects of spousal abuse is known as the forgiveness therapy. ...
