Singlehood in a cultural context: The wellbeing of never married Saudi women

Research on women’s singlehood in Saudi society has often been examined through the lens of “reasons for spinsterhood,” which tends to neglect the psychological and social dimensions of well-being. This study broadens the scope by examining the associations between insecure attachment, mental health, and life satisfaction, with age as a moderator, among never-married Saudi women, while also considering key sociodemographic factors. Using a cross-sectional design, standardized measures were administered to a sample of 504 never-married Saudi women aged 30 and above. The results indicate that women with lower levels of insecure attachment reported better mental health and greater life satisfaction; however, these effects were modest compared with the influence of key sociodemographic factors. Although age appeared to moderate the association between insecure attachment and life satisfaction, this finding should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited age range in the sample. Overall, the results indicate that while insecure attachment contributes to well-being, demographic factors, particularly education, income, and age, are more central predictors of life satisfaction among never-married women. The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of single women’s well-being, which cannot be reduced solely to marital status or attachment insecurity. The study makes a novel contribution by situating singlehood within Saudi Arabia’s ongoing family and social transformation under Vision 2030, where women are increasingly encouraged to pursue education, careers, and social participation. The findings have relevance for broader discussions on never-married women in the Arab and MENA region and invite further scholarly and public debate on singlehood as a lived experience rather than a social problem. Implications for practice are discussed.