Social, Psychological and Economic Challenges Faced by the Wife in the First Year of Marriage

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to identify the challenges faced by wives during the first year of marriage among newly married women in Irbid Governorate.

Methods: The study employed the descriptive-analytical method due to its suitability for the nature and objectives of the study, and its ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data to reach generalizable results. The study population consisted of all newly married women (married for one year or less) in Irbid Governorate. A purposive sample of 300 participants was selected. Data were analyzed using the SPSS program through various statistical methods, including frequencies and percentages, means, standard deviations, the independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffé post-hoc comparisons.

Results: Overall, social, psychological, and economic challenges during the first year of marriage were moderate. Key challenges included the husband’s idealistic expectations (social), homesickness for the parental home (psychological), and insufficient income for recreational needs (economic). Younger wives (20 years or less), those with lower education, living in less developed areas, or from low-income families faced significantly higher challenges, while the wife’s employment status showed no significant effect.

Conclusions: The study emphasized the importance of providing guidance and training programs specifically targeted at young wives and those with low incomes, with the aim of enhancing their social, economic, and psychological adaptation skills, and increasing their awareness of the challenges they may face during the first year of marriage, thereby contributing to building stable and balanced families in the long term.