Unemployment Stress, Societal Pressure, and Late Marriage Decisions: The Mediating Role of Psychological Wellbeing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the connection between unemployment stress and postponed marriage among young adults in Pakistan with the aim of investigating how cultural and societal influences influence the decision to get married. The quantitative research design was used and a structured questionnaire was used to conduct the research with a sample of 200 respondents that were administered using Purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Regression was an analytical method that was used to test the offered hypothesis. Results showed that there was significant negative correlation between unemployment stress and not delayed marriage (= -0.380, p < 0.001), which implies that increased unemployment stress was linked to earlier not delayed marriage. These finding counters the traditional beliefs that unemployment prolongs the period of marriage. Alternatively, the results indicate that marriage can be used among collectivists like Pakistan where it could be an effective coping mechanism against stress where social, emotional, and financial aid is received despite unstable economic conditions. Finally, the research has added to the literature because it has shown that unemployment stress, as opposed to postponing marriage, can hasten the process of marriage among collectivist societies. The implications of these findings to policymakers, sociologists, and psychologists dealing with the family and youth development concerns in Pakistan are informative.