Mediating Role of Anxiety in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Marital Satisfaction among Married Students

Background and Objectives: Marital satisfaction is regarded as a crucial aspect of overall well-being, affecting mental health, physical health, and overall life satisfaction. The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between perceived stress and marital satisfaction among married students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among anxiety, perceived stress, and marital satisfaction. Participants were 356 married students recruited via stratified random sampling from Azad University in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2023. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and the Marital Satisfaction Scale. Statistical analyses, including SEM, were conducted using SPSS (version 26) and AMOS (version 26) software packages. Results: The obtained results indicated a significant positive relationship between perceived stress and anxiety (β= 0.37; P=0.001). Furthermore, perceived stress (β=-0.16; P=0.011) and anxiety (β=-0.19; P=0.002) were both negatively associated with marital satisfaction. Bootstrap analyses confirmed the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between stress and marital satisfaction among married students (P=0.010). Conclusion: As evidenced by the findings of this study, higher perceived stress leads to higher anxiety, which in turn, negatively impacts marital satisfaction. The results suggested that interventions targeting anxiety reduction could improve marital satisfaction among married students.