The Mediating Role of Intimacy in the Relationship between Trust in Spouse, Emotion Regulation, and Self-Efficacy among Married Individuals

Background: Trust between spouses is a cornerstone of marital quality and has been linked to various individual psychological outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations, particularly the role of intimacy, remain underexplored. This study investigated the mediating role of intimacy in the relationship between trust in spouse, emotion regulation, and self-efficacy among married individuals.Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed. A sample of ۳۲۰ married individuals (mean age=۳۴.۶ years, SD=۸.۲; ۵۲% female) was recruited from community health centers in Tehran, Iran, using convenience sampling. Participants completed the Trust in Spouse Scale, the Intimacy Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE). Pearson correlation and mediation analyses using the PROCESS macro (Model ۴) with bootstrap resampling (۵,۰۰۰ samples) were conducted.Results: Trust in spouse was positively correlated with intimacy (r=۰.۵۱, p<۰.۰۱), reappraisal emotion regulation (r=۰.۴۵, p<۰.۰۱), and self-efficacy (r=۰.۴۲, p<۰.۰۱), and negatively correlated with suppression (r=-۰.۳۸, p<۰.۰۱). Intimacy was positively correlated with reappraisal (r=۰.۵۳, p<۰.۰۱) and self-efficacy (r=۰.۴۸, p<۰.۰۱). Mediation analyses revealed that intimacy significantly mediated the relationship between trust and reappraisal (indirect effect=۰.۲۴, ۹۵% CI [۰.۱۶, ۰.۳۳]), trust and suppression (indirect effect=-۰.۱۸, ۹۵% CI [-۰.۲۷, -۰.۱۰]), and trust and self-efficacy (indirect effect=۰.۲۷, ۹۵% CI [۰.۱۸, ۰.۳۷]). The direct effects of trust on all outcomes remained significant after including the mediator.Conclusion: Intimacy partially mediates the effects of marital trust on emotion regulation and self-efficacy. These findings suggest that fostering trust and intimacy in marital relationships can enhance individuals' emotional and cognitive resources. Clinicians working with couples should consider interventions that target both trust-building and intimacy development.

کلیدواژه ها:

trust in spouse ، intimacy ، emotion regulation ، self-efficacy ، marital relationship ، mediation