Association of Primary Maladaptive Schemas and Sexual Intimacy with Emotional Divorce (Case Study: The Couples of Quchan)

Abstract

Purpose: The current research investigates the relation of primary maladaptive schemas and sexual intimacy with emotional divorce in couples in Quchan.

Method: This research is a basic research whose method is descriptive correlational. Its statistical population included all the couples who had not been married for 10 years and been referred to comprehensive health service centers in Qochan in 2021 to receive family counseling. They were selected by sampling at convenience (301 people). Information was collected through short-form questionnaires of Yang’s early maladaptive schema (1990), the sexual intimacy of Botlani et al. (2019), and Gutman's emotional divorce (2008). Multiple regression analysis was used for data analysis and SPSS-26 software in all statistical analyses of the research.

Findings: As the main hypothesis of the research reveals, initial maladaptive schemas (social isolation, defect/shame/abandonment, obedience, insufficient self-discipline, self-sacrifice, dependency/incompetence), and sexual intimacy are associated with the emotional divorce of Quchan’s couples. The results of the first sub-hypothesis of the research also showed that only the schemas of social isolation, defect/shame/abandonment, obedience, insufficient self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and dependency/incompetence among the fourteen primary maladaptive schemas were related to the emotional divorce of couples in Quchan. Furthermore, there is a significant negative relationship between sexual intimacy and emotional divorce in the couples of Quchan.

Conclusion: As the results show, the variables of initial maladaptive schemas and sexual intimacy played an important and effective role in predicting the emotional divorce of couples in Quchan. Therefore, initial maladaptive schemas and sexual intimacy should be taught to couples through educational workshops to reduce the emotional divorce of couples.

Keywords: Emotional divorce, Primary maladaptive schemas, Sexual intimacy