Impact of coercive control on individual and relational functioning of married individuals role of self-silencing and coping self-efficacy

Abstract

The current study was aimed to investigate the impact of coercive control on individual and relations functioning (mental health & marital quality) of married individuals and to see how self-si lencing and coping self-efficacy effects this relationship. Sequential exploratory mixed method approach was used. Present study comprised of two studies. Study I was qualitative study in which 7 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and expert interviews were carried out with married men and women to understand the phenomenon of coercive control in Pakistani context. Thematic analysis was used for analysis of FODs. Study 2 was quantitative study which was divided in three phases. Phase I was the development and validation of coercive control scale. For the purpose of development of scale item pool was generated and sent for the experts review. After receiving their feedback 36 out of78 items were dropped and 42 items were finalized. Psychometric properties were detemlined by applying the Coercive Control Scale (CCS) on married individual. The sample for exploratory factor analysis comprised of 500 individuals (men = 25 1 and women = 249) from general population. A factor loading of .40 was set as a selection criterion for an item to be retained in the scale. Using oblique rotation in EF A, a solution of six factor was revealed. Further content and construct validity were establi shed for the scale. Phase II of Study 2 was a Pilot Study, which was aimed at checking the psychometric properties of the scales used in the study. Coercive Control Scale (indigenously developed in present study), Mental Health Continuum Short Form (Keyes, 2009; translated by Faran & Malik, 20 15), ENRJCH Couple Satisfaction Scale (Olson Sigg, & Larson, 2008 translated by Fatima, 20 17), Si lencing the Self Scale (Jack, 1992; translated by Munir, 2014) and Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (Chesney. Neilands, Chambers, Taylor, & Folkman, 2006; translated by Younis. 2017) were used. Results showed that all the scales had satisfactory psychometric properties. Phase III of Study 2 was Main Study which was aimed at hypotheses testing (N = 483). Coercive control was negatively related to mental health, marital quality, coping self-efficacy and was positively related to selfsilencing. Findings revealed the mediating role of coping self-efficacy in the relationship between coercive control and mental health, coercive control and marital quality. Moderating role of self-silencing, gender, marriage type and marriage duration were formed for coercive control for predicting mental health, marital quality and coping self-efficacy.