Presenting a Model of Emotional Divorce Based on Defense Mechanisms with the Mediating Role of Sexual Self-Efficacy in Women
Keywords:
Emotional divorce, defense mechanisms, sexual self-efficacy, married women, structural equation modeling.Abstract
The present study aimed to develop and test a model for explaining emotional divorce based on defense mechanisms with the mediating role of sexual self-efficacy in women. The research method was descriptive-correlational using a structural equation modeling approach. The statistical population consisted of women exhibiting symptoms of emotional divorce who referred to counseling and psychological service centers in the city of Babol in 2025, from whom 375 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data collection instruments included the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ), the Emotional Divorce Questionnaire developed by Gottman (1994), and the Female Sexual Self-Efficacy Questionnaire by Bailes et al. (1989). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical indices and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that defense mechanisms have a significant relationship with emotional divorce, such that immature and neurotic defense styles are associated with increased emotional divorce, whereas mature defenses are linked to its reduction. Furthermore, the results showed that sexual self-efficacy plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between defense mechanisms and emotional divorce (β = -0.25, p < 0.001). This indicates that with an increase in mature defenses and a decrease in immature and neurotic defenses, women’s sexual self-efficacy increases, leading to a reduction in emotional divorce. Based on the results, the proposed model demonstrated a good fit and can provide an appropriate framework for explaining the role of psychological factors in the development of emotional divorce. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing defense structures and enhancing sexual self-efficacy in couple therapy interventions and family counseling programs and can be utilized in designing preventive and therapeutic interventions to reduce emotional divorce.
Downloads
References
1. Qavami R, Fazel MM, Aliyari Z, Beiraqdar S. The Role of Marital Boredom and Sexual Dissatisfaction in Love Failure in Couples With Emotional Divorce. Aftj. 2023;4(1):221-37. doi: 10.61838/kman.aftj.4.1.12.
2. Tabaghdehi AF, Ghahderijani NS. Examining the Relationship Between Psychological Abnormalities and Emotional Interactions With Emotional Divorce With the Mediating Role of Religious Beliefs in Couples With Marital Conflicts. Aftj. 2025;6(2):105-15. doi: 10.61838/kman.aftj.6.2.11.
3. Golmohammadi H, Alimardani M. Evaluation of emotional divorce prediction based on sexual issues of couples. Journal of Assessment and Research in Applied Counseling. 2022;4(3):32-7.
4. Hosseini SM. The relationship between couples' communication patterns and sexual awareness with emotional divorce among married students of Hakim Nezami University of Quchan. Quarterly Journal of Psychological and Educational Studies. 2023;48:398-414.
5. Saffari E, Nasehi M, Yousefzadeh P. Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Marital Communication Patterns in Married Women: Investigating the Mediating Role of Defense Mechanisms. PCP. 2024;12(3):285-96.
6. Jarareh J, Taleh-Pasand S. The Effects of Management of Tactical Defenses in Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy on Coupleâ™s Satisfaction. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2011;3(2):13-21. doi: 10.22075/jcp.2017.2050.
7. Shams S, Ghelichkhan N, Yousefi N, Alijani S. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Short Term Intensive Dynamic Psychotherapy and Mentalization Based Therapy on Emotional Dysregulation, Defense Mechanisms and Insecure Attachment Styles in Women Who Have Experienced the Trauma of Marital Infidelity. International Journal of Psychology and Counselling. 2022;10(1):106-21.
8. Islami P, Shibani F. A comparison of sexual satisfaction and emotional divorce among couples undergoing divorce and ordinary couples in Bandar Abbas County. Journal of Disability Studies. 2022;101(12):1-12.
9. Banaei M, Hosseini S, Alizadeh S, Roozbeh N, Jahanshahloo B, Ghasemi E, et al. The effect of sexual health literacy on sexual function mediated by sexual satisfaction and sexual self-efficacy: Structural equation modeling approach. PLoS ONE. 2025;20(1):e0318002. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318002.
10. Bagheri R, Bakhshayesh A, Mahmoodabadi HZ. Predicting Family Stability Based on Emotion Regulation and Sexual Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Marital Intimacy. Journal of Social Behavior and Community Health. 2024. doi: 10.18502/jsbch.v8i2.16982.
11. Alijani F, Najafi S, Nazari F. The Role of Psychological Capital and Differentiation of Self in Predicting Emotional Divorce in Female Teachers. Journal of Health Promotion Management. 2022;11(4):12-23.
12. Sahranavard S, Zargham M, Arefnazar M. Developing a Predictive Model of Emotional Divorce Based on Character Strengths and Personality Traits Mediated by Psychological Capital. International Journal of Education and Cognitive Sciences. 2025:1-10. doi: 10.61838/kman.ijecs.6.4.2.
13. Shahi F, Eskandari H. The Relationship Between Love Style and Emotional Divorce With the Mediating Role of Resilience and Social Support. Iranian Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 2025;4(2):1-11.
14. Asghari M, Moradi M, Nekoolaltak M, Jamali J, Danesh F. The Effect of Counseling Based on Sexual Health Model on Sexual Compatibility of Women at Risk of Emotional Divorce. Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive Health. 2023;11(1). doi: 10.22038/jmrh.2022.64652.1885.
15. Najafi Z, Fakhimi Farhadi R. Effectiveness of Psychological Hardiness Training on Sexual Satisfaction and Marital Conflicts in Couples with Emotional Divorce. Journal of Psychology. 2023;2(1):1-12.
16. Gargari RY. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Reality Therapy on Emotional Regulation and Self-Efficacy in Women Seeking Divorce. Psychology of Woman Journal. 2024;5(1):12-22. doi: 10.61838/kman.pwj.5.1.2.
17. Jahanbakhshie Z, Soltanian S, Pourshahriar Koleshtri H. Prediction of Emotional Divorce based on Marital Commitment and Family Power Structure with the mediator role of Intimacy. Journal of Applied Psychological Research. 2025. doi: 10.22059/japr.2025.372580.644895.
18. Rasheed A, Amro A, Fahad N. Investigating the relationship between emotional divorce, marital expectations, and self-efficacy among wives in Saudi Arabia. J Divorce Remarriage. 2021;62(1):19-40. doi: 10.1080/10502556.2020.1833290.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nila Kouchaksarai (Author); Jamal Sadeghi; Tahmouras Aghajani Hashtjin, Rajabali Mohammadzadeh Admalai, Arsalan Khan Mohammadi Ataqsara (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
