The relationship between marital adjustment and psychological symptoms in women: The mediator roles of coping strategies and gender role attitudes

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the mediator role of coping strategies and gender role attitudes on the relationship between women's marital adjustment and psychological symptoms. Methods: 248 married women participated in the study. Participants completed the Marital Adjustment Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, Gender Role Attitudes Scale and Demographic Information Form. Results: Regression analyses revealed that Submissive (Sobel z= -2,47, p<,01) and Helpless Coping Approach (Sobel z=-2,95, p <,001) have a partial mediator role on the relationship between marital relationship score and psychological symptom level. Also, having an Egalitarian Gender Role Attitude affects the psychological symptoms in relation with the marital relationship, but this effect is not high enough to play a mediator role (Sobel z =-1,21, p>,05). Discussion: Regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between women's marital adjustment and their psychological symptoms, indicating that marital adjustment decreases as psychological symptoms increase. It was also found that submissive and helpless coping approaches have mediator roles in this relationship. Also, contrary to expectations, having egalitarian gender role attitude affects the psychological symptoms in relation with the marital relationship, but this effect does not seem to play a mediator role. Marriage and couples therapy that considers the couples' problem solving and coping styles should be examined in further studies.