Investigating Premarital Experiences (Dating, Engagement, and Wedding) in Women With Divorce Tendency: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study investigated the premarital experiences (dating, engagement, and wedding) in women with divorce tendency. The population of the study included all married women with divorce tendency who referred to counseling centers in Isfahan, Iran due to marital problems over the years 2020–2021. Moreover, this study was conducted with the participation of specialists and therapists familiar with marital and premarital issues and divorce. The relevant literature including texts, articles, and scientific books related to the subject was also reviewed. The data for the study were gathered via three tools of (1) 10 semistructured interviews with married women with divorce tendency, (2) interviews with eight experts, and (3) study of scientific texts. Ten female participants were selected using purposive sampling from those who expressed a tendency to divorce in the diagnostic interview. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results consisted of 12 subcategories over the three stages of dating, engagement, and wedding. These were then classified according to their similarities and differences by comparing their content under two main categories of cognitive-dispositional experiences and behavioral experiences. The results showed that identifying premarital experiences of women with divorce tendency and providing appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies could be a great help in stabilizing the couple's relationship, increasing marital satisfaction, preventing divorce, and promoting community health.