Comparison of Maladaptive Schemas and Perceived Psychological Needs in Two Groups of Close to Divorce and Satisfied with Marital Life Women

Background and aim: Investigation of psychological factors contributing to dissatisfaction with marital life and divorce and comparing the same factors among individuals satisfied with marital life is a very important domain in the pathology of divorce; Hence, the present research was conducted by the aim of comparing maladaptive schemas and perceived psychological needs in two groups of women, namely, close to divorce and satisfied with marital life women. Method: The present research was conducted by a causal-comparative method. The study population included all married women referring to family courts of East-Tehran in 2019 and all married women residing in East-Tehran, among which 200 women were selected by available sampling method. The participants completed the research tools. Findings: Results of the current research suggested that close to divorce and satisfied with marital life women are different in their maladaptive schemas and perceived psychological needs (P > 0.01); maladaptive schemas in all domains were higher close to divorce women compared to satisfied with marital life women. Also, in perceived psychological needs, the group of close to divorce women had lower perceived competence and relatedness compared with women satisfied with marital life, but there was no significant difference in perceived autonomy between both groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings, it appears that investigating early maladaptive schemas and perceived psychological needs is necessary for pre-marriage counseling sessions. Also, using schema-therapy and other approaches related to perceived psychological needs by psychologists and counselors to address such problems in clients can lead to desirable results.