en ● Psychosocial Health مقاله اصيل پژوهشي Orginal Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span style="line-height:2;"><strong>Background</strong>: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and psychological risk factors are also involved in the morbidity and spread of the disease. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT) on affective temperaments in patients with CAD.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Methods</strong>: This semi-experimental study was conducted with two groups using a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design involving 34 couples, where one partner had CAD, in Mashhad, Iran, in 2022. The couples were selected via two-stage cluster sampling and allocated into two groups: The intervention group (16 couples) and the control group (18 couples) through permuted block randomization. An EFCT based on the healing hearts together (HHT) educational program was performed in the intervention group during eight weekly 2-hour sessions. The control group received only routine care. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the temperament evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A) before, after, and two months following the intervention. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA by SPSS software, version 26.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Results</strong>: The EFCT significantly decreased the mean score of irritable, anxious, and depressed temperaments but significantly increased the mean score of hyperthymic temperament in the post-test and follow&ndash;up. However, the changes observed at the follow-up stage were less pronounced than those at the post-test stage (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean score of the cyclothymic temperament dimension between the intervention and control groups in the post-test and follow-up (P>0.05).&nbsp;<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Using EFCT in couples can improve affective temperaments in patients with CAD. EFCT in couples, where one partner has CAD, can be effective in health maintenance and promotion, as well as in enhancing the quality of life (QoL) for patients with CAD.</span></span></span></div> Coronary artery disease (CAD), Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT), Affective temperaments 479 488 http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2352-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fereshteh Oladi fereshteh_oladi@yahoo.com 100319475328460035241 100319475328460035241 No Department of Psychology, Torbat-e Jam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e Jam, Iran. Ali Akbar Saremi saremi@iautj.ac.ir 100319475328460035242 100319475328460035242 Yes Department of Psychology, Torbat-e Jam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e Jam, Iran. Ali Eshraghi EshraghiA@mums.ac.ir 100319475328460035243 100319475328460035243 No Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Mohammad Hossein Karbalaee MH.Karbalaee@iau.ac.ir 100319475328460035244 100319475328460035244 No Department of Psychology, Torbat-e Jam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e Jam, Iran.