The Relationship Between Marital Intimacy, Self-Coherence, and Parents’ Psychological Well-Being With the Psychological Security of Children
Keywords:
Psychological security, psychological well-being, self-coherence, marital intimacyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of marital intimacy, self-coherence, and parents’ psychological well-being in predicting the psychological security of adolescent boys.
Methodology: This applied, correlational study was conducted on a sample of 357 male high school students in Babol, Iran, selected through multistage cluster random sampling. Data were collected using Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (short form), Walker and Thompson Marital Intimacy Scale, Ghorbani's Self-Coherence Questionnaire, and Maslow’s Psychological Security Scale (short form). Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation and simultaneous multiple regression using SPSS.
Findings: Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between marital intimacy, self-coherence, and psychological well-being with children’s psychological security. Together, the three predictors explained 46% of the variance in psychological security. Among them, self-coherence was the strongest predictor (β=0.359, p<0.0001), followed by psychological well-being (β=0.326, p=0.001) and marital intimacy (β=0.270, p<0.0001).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that parents’ internal consistency, psychological well-being, and marital relationship quality play essential roles in enhancing adolescents' psychological security. These results underscore the importance of family-based education, marital counseling, and psychological skill-building programs in promoting child mental health.
Downloads
References
Ahmed, M., Zaman, M., & Irfan, H. (2025). Child Marriage Traditions in Pakistan: Reconstructing (In) Security and Subjective Well-Being of Children. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7515
Bai, Y., Liu, X., Zhang, B., Fu, M., Huang, N., Qi-tu, H. U., & Guo, J. (2022). Associations of Youth Mental Health, Parental Psychological Distress, and Family Relationships During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China. BMC psychiatry, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03938-8
Bakhtiari, E., Hosseini, S. S., Arefi, M., & Afsharinia, K. (2021). The Mediating Role of Marital Intimacy in the Relationship Between Attachment Style and Couples' Attitude Towards Infidelity. Journal of counseling research. https://doi.org/10.18502/qjcr.v20i77.6144
Carasso, E., & Segel‐Karpas, D. (2024). Marital Strain and Emotional Intimacy in Midlife Couples: The Moderating Role of Empathy. Personal Relationships, 31(3), 648-663. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12559
Dehghanidowlatabadi, S., Pallathadka, H., Ismail, S. M., Abdullaev, D., Ibrahim, F. M., & Prasad, K. D. V. (2025). Moderating Effect of Interpersonal Mindfulness Between Marital Conflict and Marital Intimacy Among Iranian Married Individuals. Brain and Behavior, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70392
f, f. (2021). The Effects of Married Women’s Family-of-Origin Differentiation on Marital Intimacy: The Mediation Effects of Self-Reflection and Marital Conflict Coping Behaviors. Korean Academy Welfare Counseling, 10(2), 227-251. https://doi.org/10.20497/jwce.2021.10.2.227
Finzi‐Dottan, R., Riff, A. R., & Dagan, G. (2025). Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Loves You Above All: Navigating Vulnerable Narcissism, Intimacy, and Marital &Amp; Sexual Satisfaction. The Family Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807251321510
Ghasemi, Y. (2023). The Relationship Between Attachment Symbols, Attachment Styles and Self-Differentiation With Marital Intimacy. Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, 7(4), 01-08. https://doi.org/10.31579/2578-8965/168
Hamzehrad, M., Niknam, M., & Kelarijani, F. A. (2024). Sexual Function and Marital Intimacy in Mastectomized Women With Breast Cancer: Mediating Role of Body Image Concern. Journal Of Shahid Sadoughi University Of Medical Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v32i4.15836
Larki, T. (2025). Comparison of the Impact of Mentalization-Based Therapy and Unified Transdiagnostic Treatment on Intimacy and Marital Satisfaction of Women With Experience of Marital Infidelity. Injoeacs, 6(1), 137-147. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.ijecs.6.1.14
Lee, S., Nho, J. H., Lee, E. J., & Lee, D. H. (2025). Factors Influencing Quality of Life in Pregnant Women With Preterm Labor. J Korean Matern Child Health, 29(2), 87-96. https://doi.org/10.21896/jkmch.2025.29.2.87
Lim, J. (2022). The Mediating Effect of Adaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategy on the Relationship of Marital Conflict and Marital Intimacy Among Middle-Aged Married Couples: Actor and Partner Effect. Korean Soc Cult Converg, 44(11), 901-914. https://doi.org/10.33645/cnc.2022.11.44.11.901
Najibzadegan, A., Bahrainian, S. A., & Shahabizadeh, F. (2024). Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Intimacy, Marital Forgiveness, and Marital Burnout in Women Affected by Extramarital Relationships. Aftj, 5(3), 102-112. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.5.3.11
Park, C., & Harris, V. W. (2022). The Impact of Attachment Styles on Attitudes Toward Marriage: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intimacy. The Family Journal, 31(2), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807221124271
Parsakia, K., Farzad, V., & Rostami, M. (2023). The Mediating Role of Attachment Styles in the Relationship Between Marital Intimacy and Self-Differentiation in Couples. Aftj, 4(1), 589-607. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.4.1.29
Pouya, F. H., Gharamaleki, N. S., & Mirzahosseini, H. (2025). The Structural Model for Predicting Marital Burnout Based on Attachment Styles With the Mediating Role of Marital Self-Regulation and Marital Intimacy in Married Individuals. Aftj, 6(1), 29-36. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.6.1.4
Qazi, S., Najam, S., & Mahmood, I. (2023). Exploring the Mediating Role of Fear of Intimacy in the Interplay of Partner Rejection and Marital Satisfaction Among Married Women. Global Social Sciences Review, VIII(IV), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2023(viii-iv).01
Qu, Y., Li, X., Ni, B., He, X., Keqin, Z., & Wu, G. (2021). Identifying the Role of Parent–child Conflict and Intimacy in Chinese Adolescents’ Psychological Distress During School Reopening in COVID-19 Pandemic. Developmental Psychology, 57(10), 1735-1747. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001218
Salemi, Y., Abooei, A., & Saeidmanesh, M. (2021). Predicting Sexual Satisfaction of Married Women Based on Marital Commitment, Marital Intimacy, and Coronation Attachment Style. Aftj, 2(5), 94-115. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.2.5.6
Sarhani, Z., & Homaei, R. (2023). Association Between Marital Infidelity Based on Fear of Intimacy and Self-Differentiation Through the Mediating Role of Sexual Satisfaction in Women With Marital Conflict. Archives of Hygiene Sciences, 12(1), 50-55. https://doi.org/10.34172/ahs.12.1.1.386
Shahabi, S., Jenaabadi, H., & Tamini, B. K. (2021). The Mediating Role of Marital Intimacy in the Relationship Between Distress Tolerance and Sexual Self-Concept Among Couples With Marital Conflict. Aftj, 2(3), 361-380. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.2.3.18
Tavaloli, T., Kimiaee, S. A., & Mohammadian, H. A. (2022). The Effectiveness of Marriage Enrichment Training of TIME Plan on Improving Marital Intimacy and Women’s Psychological Security. Practice in Clinical Psychology, 10(3), 259-274. https://doi.org/10.32598/jpcp.10.3.857.1
Taziki, Z., Choobforoushzadeh, A., & Rezapour, Y. (2024). The Mediating Role of Marital Intimacy in Relation With Midlife Crisis With a Tendency Toward Infidelity in Middle-Aged Men. Journal of counseling research. https://doi.org/10.18502/qjcr.v23i90.16071
Yoo, J. H., & Hong, J.-S. (2024). The Mediating Effect of Relationship Authenticity on the Relationship Between the Disconnection and Rejection Schema and Marital Intimacy: Actor and Partner Effects. Korean Association for Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 24(18), 935-952. https://doi.org/10.22251/jlcci.2024.24.18.935
Zhang, R., Guo, Y., Bai, B., Wang, Y., Gao, L., & Cheng, L. (2022). The Association Between Parental Marital Satisfaction and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior in China: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(9), 5630. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095630
Zhou, X., Huang, J., Qin, S., Tao, K., & Ning, Y. (2023). Family Intimacy and Adolescent Peer Relationships: Investigating the Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and the Moderating Role of Self-Identity. Frontiers in psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1165830
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 اشکان مدرس, جمال صادقی (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.