The Role of Dimensions of Parental Marital Satisfaction in Predicting Symptoms of Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders in Primary School Students in Qom, Iran

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) are prevalent disruptive behavior disorders among children and adolescents. Early diagnosis and intervention for these mental health issues are essential, as behavioral and emotional patterns established in childhood can become deeply ingrained in adulthood. This study aimed to predict the symptoms of conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder in children based on dimensions of parental marital satisfaction.

This descriptive-correlational study involved primary school students from district 3 of Qom, Iran. A total of 200 students were selected through convenience sampling. Parents completed questionnaires, including the Enrich Marital Satisfaction (EMS) scale and the Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 24, IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY).

Multiple regression analysis indicated that satisfaction with personality issues [β = -0.20, p = 0.04] and religious orientation [β = -0.23, p = 0.003] were significant negative predictors of ODD symptoms. Additionally, satisfaction with financial issues [β = -0.25, p = 0.002] and religious orientation [β = -0.23, p = 0.005] were significant negative predictors of CD symptoms.

The findings underscore the importance of assessing personality, financial, and religious dimensions of marital satisfaction in predicting symptoms of conduct and oppositional defiant disorders in children. Given the significance of religious orientation, the unique religious context of Qom should be taken into account in future research.