Relationship Between Marital Quality, Social Support and Mental Health During Pregnancy

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between marital quality and mental health during pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 Iranian pregnant women. The ENRICH marital satisfaction subscales, levels of domestic violence, perceived social support, as well as depression and anxiety levels were assessed using a questionnaire. AMOS path analysis was used to explore the causal relationship and the mediating effect of social support among the variables of marital quality subscales and mental health. The results showed that, adjusted for age, the history of infertility and level of anxiety were related to marital satisfaction, marital relationships and level of depression which were related to the level of domestic violence. Sexual satisfaction and the level of perceived social support had a mediating role in such relationships. The study confirmed that marital quality is an important predictor of mental health. Improving the marital quality may lead to improvement in mental health.