Structural Equation Modeling of Marital Burnout Based on Childhood Emotional Neglect, Attachment Anxiety, Emotion Dysregulation, and the Moderating Role of Partner Support

Reem Al-Sabah; Ryan MacDonald; Tharindu Jayasinghe

Authors

Reem Al-Sabah Department of Psychology, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5884-0137
Ryan MacDonald Department of Sports Psychology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3099-5720
Tharindu Jayasinghe Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5014-2050

Keywords:

Marital Burnout, Childhood Emotional Neglect, Attachment Anxiety, Emotion Dysregulation, Partner Support, Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to test a structural equation model of marital burnout based on childhood emotional neglect, attachment anxiety, and emotion dysregulation and to examine the moderating role of perceived partner support in the associations of attachment anxiety and emotion dysregulation with marital burnout.

Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 412 married adults residing in Canada in 2026. Participants were recruited through community organizations, family and relationship support centers, social media advertisements, university community boards, and online research participation platforms. Data were collected using the Couple Burnout Measure, the Emotional Neglect subscale of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form, the attachment anxiety subscale of the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised questionnaire, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and partner-focused items from the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations and structural equation modeling with maximum-likelihood estimation. Moderation was examined using interaction terms and simple-slope analysis.

Findings: The structural model showed satisfactory fit, χ²/df = 2.22, CFI = .956, TLI = .947, IFI = .957, GFI = .921, RMSEA = .054, and SRMR = .046. Childhood emotional neglect significantly predicted attachment anxiety (β = .46, p < .001), emotion dysregulation (β = .43, p < .001), and marital burnout (β = .13, p = .001). Attachment anxiety (β = .30, p < .001) and emotion dysregulation (β = .27, p < .001) positively predicted marital burnout, whereas partner support negatively predicted marital burnout (β = -.28, p < .001). Partner support significantly moderated the effects of attachment anxiety (β = -.12, p = .003) and emotion dysregulation (β = -.10, p = .005) on marital burnout. The model explained 57.8% of the variance in marital burnout.

Conclusion: Marital burnout appears to reflect the combined influence of developmental adversity, attachment insecurity, emotion-regulation difficulties, and current relational resources, while perceived partner support may buffer the adverse associations of attachment anxiety and emotion dysregulation with marital burnout.

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