Relationships between attachment to God and marital satisfaction, and mental health in parents of children with special needs

Introduction: This study was conducted in order to determine the relationship between attachment to God with marital satisfaction and mental health in parents of children with special needs.Method: A total of ۳۷۲ parents (۱۸۶ fathers, ۱۸۶ mothers) of blind, deaf and educable children with mental retardation were selected through stratified random sampling using the method of proportional allocation. The assigned group was evaluated according to the Morgan table. This survey used three types of questionnaires for data co]llection to make evaluations of attachment to God, marital satisfaction, and Symptoms Checklist-Revised (SCl-۹۰).Results: The results showed a significant positive implication for the relationship between a secure attachment to God and marital satisfaction, and there was a significant negative implication for the relationship between anxious-avoidance in attachment to God and marital satisfaction. Further findings generally indicated a significant positive relationship between mental health and marital satisfaction. Assigning independent variables of marital satisfaction and mental health as a criterion variable and secure, avoidance and anxious attachment to God as a predictor variable for step-by-step regression model, in the first step a secure attachment to God was entered into the equation. This variable determined around ۵۱% marital satisfaction and ۴۷% mental health. Other variables (avoidance and anxiety in attachment to God) were excluded from the equation.Conclusion: Having a secure attachment to God had an impact on a meaningful and positive relationship with mental health and marital satisfaction, while an avoidant-anxious attachment to God had implications for a negative meaningful relationship with mental health and marital satisfaction. Therefore, it was possible to improve marital satisfaction and mental health among people, particularly parents of children with special needs by changing the nature of their attachment to God. Keywords: Religion, God Attachment, Marital Satisfaction, Mental Health, Exceptional Children