Explaining the Formation Process and Examining the Causes and Consequences of Unhealthy Relationships in Iranian Families and Providing Guidelines for Their Reduction: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explain the process through which unhealthy relationships develop in Iranian families, identify their underlying causes and consequences, and formulate context-sensitive guidelines for preventing and reducing such relationships.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory approach. Participants were 15 divorced Iranian women residing in Tehran in 2025 who had experienced unhealthy marital relationships. Participants were recruited through criterion-based purposive sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed concurrently with data collection using open, focused, and theoretical coding. Constant comparison, iterative category development, and theoretical integration were applied to construct an explanatory model of unhealthy family relationships.

Findings: Data analysis generated 105 open codes, 18 axial codes, and six focused categories. The emergent theoretical model, conceptualized as the “Vicious Cycle of Unhealthy Relationships in Iranian Families,” demonstrated that unhealthy relationships develop through an interconnected process involving contextual conditions, relationship deterioration, multidimensional consequences, coping responses, and preventive or intervention strategies. Contextual conditions consisted primarily of uninformed marriage and dysfunctional family backgrounds. The developmental process progressed from the establishment of initial unhealthy patterns to their escalation and deepening, followed by relational crisis and breakdown. Consequences were manifested across psychological, economic, social, and familial domains. Participants adopted both constructive and maladaptive coping strategies. The findings further indicated that, without timely intervention, unhealthy relationship patterns may become self-perpetuating and potentially transmitted across generations.

Conclusion: Unhealthy relationships in Iranian families represent a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon rooted simultaneously in individual, couple, family, and broader social processes. Effective reduction therefore requires multilevel, culturally sensitive interventions emphasizing premarital preparation, couple counseling, communication and emotion-regulation skills, early identification of dysfunctional patterns, and family-centered support programs.