Determining the contribution of attachment styles and coping styles in predicting the instability of married life with the mediating role of resilience in conflicted couples

Abstract

Background and Aim: Marital stability is considered a core index of continuity and durability of mutual independence, trust and friendship, and it is considered a predictor of marital happiness, and is influenced by many individual and interpersonal factors. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a structural model for predicting the instability of married life based on attachment styles and coping styles: the mediating role of resilience in conflicted couples. Methods: The descriptive research method was correlation type. The statistical population included couples who were referred to police counselling centres in Tehran in 2019, and 300 people were selected as a statistical sample using the available (voluntary) sampling method. The members of the statistical sample responded to Edwards et al.'s marital stability instability scale (1987), coping styles questionnaire by Lazarus and Folkman (1985) and Connor and Davidson resilience questionnaire (2003). Results: The findings showed that coping styles directly predict the instability of marital life in conflicted couples, and resilience had a significant mediating role in the relationship between emotion-oriented and problem-oriented coping styles and marital instability. In addition, the results showed resilience had a significant mediating role in the relationship between secure attachment style, insecure-avoidant attachment style and marital instability (P < 0.01). However, resilience did not have a significant mediating role in the relationship between bisexual attachment style and marital instability (P > 0.01). Conclusion: It can be concluded that teaching effective coping styles, paying attention to resilience and identifying attachment styles of couples can prevent injuries that threaten the stability of married life.