Personality Characteristics, Early Maladaptive Schema and Family Function in Couples Initiating for Divorce Versus Non-Initiating Ones

Decision for divorce depends on various personal and interpersonal variables. Personality characteristics and early maladaptive schema as two individual, and family function, as an interpersonal variable would play crucial role in helping people to cope with problems in life. A sample of 285 couples (147 initiator, and 138 noninitiator) were recruited in the family courts, and residential districts in Tehran. They completed a battery of questionnaire including NEO (five factor personality questionnaire), short form of early maladaptive schema questionnaire (YSR), and McMaster family assessment device (FAD). Groups were matched based on age, education level, social economic status, and years of marriage. Results indicated statistical significant differences between two groups in personality characteristics (neuroticism, openness to new experiences, agreeableness and consciousness) early maladaptive schemas (emotional deprivation, rejection, distrust, pessimism and emotional inhibition), and family function (problem solving, roles, and behavioral control). The result of regression logistic analysis showed that 34 to 45 percent of dependent variable predicted by these 12 independent variable. As such, it seems that there is a need to attend the factors would play a role both at primary prevention level and secondary level that psychologists and counselors could consider when providing mental health services.