Relationship between Marital Satisfaction and Mental Health of Married Women Referring to Health Centers in Sanandaj, Iran in 2014

BACKGROUND: As the most splendid social custom to attain security and emotional needs of adults, marriage has always won the approval of the community as a whole. In this regard, the endeavors of couples to preserve their relationships and achieve higher levels of marital satisfaction have been of great significance. As a component of personal characteristics, mental health has always been associated with marital satisfaction. This study investigated the relationship between marital satisfaction and mental health of married women referred to health centers in Sanandaj, Iran in 2014.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 393 women referring to the health centers in Sanandaj, Iran who were selected randomly in 2014. Data collection tool were ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), which was completed by the participants in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16, descriptive, and analytical statistics.

RESULTS: The results indicated that most of the patients were between 35-26 years, did not complete secondary school, were housewives, had only one child, and were married for 10 years. Most of the participants enjoyed marital satisfaction and had good mental health. There was a significant relationship between mental health and marital satisfaction (p<0.001). In terms of mental health, depression and marital satisfaction had the most significant negative correlation (p<0.001). However, there were no statistically significant relationship between female’s education and their employment with marital satisfaction and mental health.

CONCLUSION: According to the findings of our study, in terms of the relationship between mental health and marital satisfaction, solving marital problems and increasing couples’ satisfaction can lead to the promotion of their mental health, leading to the increase in the health status of families and society a whole; hence, the significant role of family counseling centers.