SOCIO-CULTURAL BELIEFS AND UNREALISTIC MARITAL EXPECTATIONS: EFFECTS ON MARITAL SATISFACTION AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PAKISTANI SOCIETY

Abstract

This research focuses on the role of cultural beliefs and norms in relation to marital satisfaction and mental health issues in Pakistan and how idealistic views of marriage lead to mental health problems. Using self-discrepancy theory, it aims to explain how contrasts between the desired and real marital expectations influence mental well-being. The study reveals that cultural beliefs and family pressures affect marital happiness and, in turn, cause mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Financial instability worsens these problems since financial stress increases marital disagreements and leads to psychological problems. Cultural and societal images of marriage that are unrealistic lead to marital discrepancies between expectations and realities, thus causing marital dissatisfaction and anxiety due to unmet expectations. The study highlights the need to consider cultural and economic factors in marital counselling and mental health interventions. Future work should extend these findings to other samples and at different times to reveal the long-term implications for marital satisfaction and mental health.