Psychological well-being and marital satisfaction of involuntarily childless Turkish women

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study attempts to explore the effects of involuntary childlessness on personal well-being and marital satisfaction of 37 Turkish women. A path-analysis model was formulated in order to introduce some independent variables which are important in focusing on the social and social - psychological correlates of infertility. In addition, the levels of status in the family, psychological and marital satisfaction of a matched sample of 37 mothers were compared with those of involuntarily childless women. The results of the final model suggested for the involuntarily childless women that the woman's feeling of social pressure influenced personal satisfaction negatively, but decreased with increasing education and increased with treatment duration, with the residence of relatives with the couple. The residence of relatives with the couple and the woman's employment also negatively affected the woman's status in the family, which in turn affected her marital satisfaction and consequently her psychological satisfaction. The residence of relatives with the couple and availability of brothers to continue the family name positively affected the feelings of social pressure on the part of the husband of involuntarily childless woman. Further, it was found that there was no difference i ibetween the groups of mothers and involuntarily childless women with regard to the level of status in the family and marital satisfaction. Nevertheless, the significant difference was found between the two groups on psychological satisfaction. Ill