Fear of intimacy and emotional jealousy as predictors of couple burnout in close relationships

Couple burnout is a multidimensional condition experienced by individuals at the physical, emotional, and cognitive levels when their expectations in the marital relationship are not met. One of the potential triggers of this condition is fear of intimacy, which may lead individuals to avoid emotional closeness and create distance within the relationship. On the other hand, emotional jealousy may increase individuals' anxiety about losing their partner's attention and affection, eventually becoming a factor that contributes to couple burnout over time. Based on this framework, the aim of the present study is to examine whether fear of intimacy and emotional jealousy predict couple burnout. The study group consisted of 385 married individuals who were reached through an online questionnaire. In order to collect data, a "Demographic Information Form" prepared by the researcher was used to determine the participants' demographic characteristics. The Couple Burnout Scale (SBS) was used to assess levels of couple burnout; the Fear of Intimacy Scale was used to measure the degree of discomfort experienced in close relationships; and the Spousal Emotional Jealousy Scale was employed to evaluate levels of emotional jealousy. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0 software. Hierarchical regression analysis, one of the descriptive analysis methods, was used in the study. According to the findings, fear of intimacy significantly predicted spousal burnout, whereas emotional jealousy did not significantly predict spousal burnout. In line with these results, the findings were discussed within the scope of the relevant literature, and both theoretical and practical implications were drawn. Various recommendations were offered for researchers and professionals working in the field.