Emotional empathy, adaptability, and couple functioning in compatible and incompatible young couples: A cross-sectional study

This study investigates the health of couple relationships and emphasizes the importance of improving the quality of communication among couples as a key aspect of community health. Given the decline in the quality of marital relations, marital and emotional problems, and the increase in divorce proceedings, identifying causal factors and preventing them is crucial. This research is cross-sectional in nature and involved a sample of ۲۰۸ individuals, comprising ۱۰۴ compatible couples and ۱۰۴ incompatible couples. Using available sampling methods, participants were selected based on their referral to divorce centers or the absence of such referrals, with ages ranging from ۲۰ to ۳۵ years. Participants completed the emotional empathy scale (EES), (FACES-III), and the Enrich marital satisfaction scale (ECS). Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. The mean emotional empathy score for incompatible couples was ۳۷.۵۹ (SD=۳.۶۵). In contrast, compatible couples exhibited a mean emotional empathy score of ۱۱۷.۶۵ (SD=۱۰.۱۸). Regarding adaptability, incompatible couples had a mean score of ۶۶.۶۱ (SD=۳.۴۷), while compatible couples scored significantly higher, with a mean of ۱۱۲.۶۴ (SD=۵.۶۰). Finally, the mean marital functioning score for incompatible couples was ۷۱.۳۵ (SD=۲.۶۶), whereas compatible couples had a much lower mean score of ۳۵.۷۶ (SD=۳.۵۴). The results indicated that the significance level of Levene's test was less than ۰.۰۵ (P<۰.۰۰۰۱), suggesting significant differences in the mean scores of emotional empathy, adaptability, and marital functioning between compatible and incompatible young couples. The findings revealed that incompatible young couples have lower emotional empathy and adaptability than the compatible sample, resulting in weaker couple functioning. This situation has led to ongoing conflicts and possibly serious actions toward divorce, which will have significant social consequences. Therefore, regularly monitoring couples and taking action to improve these variables are priorities for enhancing family systems.

کلیدواژه ها:

emotional empathy ، Adaptability ، Couple Function ، couple ، Compatible ، Incompatible ، Nursing ، Nurses ، Community Health Nursing