DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN EARLY-MARRIED WOMEN: THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MARITAL POWER

Abstract

"Child marriage or early marriage is defined as the type of marriage performed before the girl is physically, physiologically, and psychologically ready to shoulder the responsibilities of marriage and childbearing. Turkish Population and Health Survey in 2018 demonstrated that 21% of women married before the age of 18, while 4% of them married before the age of 15. As can be observed from the statistics, early marriage is considered to be a serious problem, especially for girls in Turkey. Therefore, understanding the effects of early marriage on women seems to be an essential step to prevent young girls from getting married at an early age. Children are forced to take the adult roles before they are ready and have no control over their future; this situation paves the way for psychological problems such as depression. The variables that may predict depressive symptoms in early-married women were examined based on the relevant literature. The aim of the present study is to examine the mediator role of perceived power in the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in early-married women. The study sample consists of 97 women (between the ages of 19-30) who got married before the age of 18. The participants were given Demographic Information Form and The Multidimensional Scale of Social support, Couple Power Scale, and Depression subscale of Brief Symptom Inventory. In model test results of the analysis, perceived power mediates the relationship between social support and depression in early-married women. According to the results, women who have more social support feel more power in the marital relationship, which in turn results with less depressive symptoms. These findings of the current study suggest that social support and perceived power in a marital relationship play a significant role in depressive symptoms of early-married women. Along with the further studies, this study may help improve treatment strategies, which focus on social support and marital power for early-married women who present depressive symptoms."