Explaining the Psychological Mechanisms of Marital Burnout in Couples with Chronic Conflict: Emphasis on Relational Rumination, Emotional Avoidance, and Perceived Emotional Injustice
Keywords:
Marital burnout, Chronic conflict, Relational rumination, Emotional avoidance, Emotional injustice, Couple therapy, Thematic analysisAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to explain the psychological mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of marital burnout among couples with chronic conflict, with particular emphasis on relational rumination, emotional avoidance, and perceived emotional injustice.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants were 24 individuals from couples living in Tehran who reported chronic marital conflict and signs of relational burnout. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes. After obtaining informed consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. Data analysis involved open coding, code organization, identification of subthemes, and development of main categories. Trustworthiness was enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, maintaining an audit trail, and constant comparison of interview data.
Findings: Data analysis led to the emergence of five main categories: “the cycle of relational rumination and threatening reinterpretation,” “emotional avoidance and communicative withdrawal,” “perceived emotional injustice and invisibility of efforts,” “erosion of intimacy and hopelessness about relational repair,” and “maintenance of chronic conflict and consolidation of a burned-out couple identity.” The findings indicated that marital burnout is not merely a consequence of conflict frequency; rather, it develops through repetitive psychological processes in which ruminative thinking, emotional suppression, perceived emotional inequity, and repeated failure of repair attempts transform the marital relationship into an exhausting, unrewarding, and threatening experience.
Conclusion: The results suggest that marital burnout among couples with chronic conflict emerges through the interaction of cognitive, emotional, and perceptual mechanisms. Couple therapy interventions for these couples should move beyond communication skills training and directly target relational rumination, emotional tolerance, perceived emotional justice, appreciation, emotional responsiveness, and the reconstruction of relational hope.
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