The mediating role of marital intimacy in the relationship between distress tolerance and sexual self-concept among couples with marital conflict

Abstract

Aim: This research aimed to determine the mediating role of marital intimacy in the relationship between distress tolerance and sexual self-concept among couples with marital conflict. Methods: The method is descriptive-correlational and the study population included married men and women that lived in Kerman in 2019. A number of 384 people (192 women and 192 men) were selected using the convenience sampling method to collect data from the modeling section. The Data collection instruments included Simmons and Gaher’s (2005) Distress Tolerance Scale, Walker and Thompson’s (1982) Marital Intimacy Scale, and Snell’s (1990) Sexual Self-Concept. The data were analyzed by correlation analysis of structural equations in AMOS software. Results: The findings of this study indicated that marital intimacy had a moderating role in the relationship between the tolerance of distress among married people living in Kerman. Also, they indicated a mediating role in the relationship between sexual self-concept and distress tolerance. The confirmation of this causal model at the level (P = 0.001, RMSEA = 0.089) generally indicated the role of marital intimacy in the relationship between sexual self-concept and tolerance of distress among married people. Conclusion: The results indicate the moderating role of marital intimacy in the relationship between sexual self-concept and distress tolerance among married people.