Affiliation:
1. Department of Psychiatric Social Work, LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam, India
2. Department of Indian Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telengana, India
3. Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, New Delhi, India
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Childlessness has been characterized as a syndrome with multiple causes, a disease’s effect, or manifestation rather than the disease itself, a biological impairment, a psychosomatic disorder, a condition that affects a couple rather than an individual, a failure to produce, and a failure to satisfy the individual’s desire to have children.
Aim:
This study assessed mental health and marital adjustment and examined the relationship between mental health and marital adjustment among childless men and women in northeast India.
Materials and Methods:
The present study employed a cross-sectional research design to examine a sample of 72 childless men and women residing in the northeastern states of India, all of whom had been married for a minimum of 5 years. Out of the total sample, there were 21 men (29.2%) and 51 women (70.8%). Among these participants, it was found that 18 individuals (25.0%) were currently undergoing treatment. The participants were chosen using the snowball sampling approach. The study employed two research instruments, including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic data sheet.
Results:
It was found that 29.2% of childless men and women had moderate levels of depression, 13.9% had severe anxiety, and 43.1% had mild stress. Out of 72 childless men and women, 29.2% of respondents described good levels of marital adjustment. While 15.3% felt poor marital adjustment and 07.0% felt a very poor marital adjustment. Furthermore, it was observed that marital adjustment had a negative relationship with depression (r = −0.215, P < 0.05), anxiety (r = −0.105, P > 0.05), and stress (r = −0.020, P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the importance of enhancing marital satisfaction to improve mental health among childless couples, suggesting a need for psychological support interventions.