Profiles of marriage anxiety of young adults

This study was aimed to examine the different profiles of marriage anxiety among young adults in the context of self-esteem, romantic relationship satisfaction, gender perception, attachment styles, and psychological symptoms. The study was conducted with a total of 548 unmarried young adults aged between 18 and 29, including 287 women (52.4%) and 261 men (47.6%). Data were obtained through the Personal Information Form, Marriage Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Relationship Assessment Scale, Gender Perception Scale, Attachment Styles Scale, and DASS-8. Descriptive statistics, Latent Profile Analysis, R3STEP, and the BCH method were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the Latent Profile Analysis, three profiles were identified: individuals who were relationally well-adjusted and had protective psychological resources (Profile 1) individuals who were partially relationally adjusted and potentially at risk (Profile 2), and individuals who were fragile, showed multiple symptoms, and were at high risk (Profile 3). The BCH results showed that the profiles differed significantly in terms of marriage anxiety levels and that the highest level of marriage anxiety was observed in Profile 3. According to the results of the multinomial logistic regression analysis, gender, age, and romantic relationship status did not significantly predict profile membership; however, family unity was found to be a limited distinguishing variable only in the comparison between Profile 2 and Profile 3. In conclusion, this study revealed that marriage anxiety is a multidimensional construct that should be considered together with psychological resources, attachment patterns, romantic relationship experiences, and psychological symptoms among young adults.