Journal of Applied Psychological Research

Identifying the Challenges and Issues of Remarriage after Divorce in Iran: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan Iran

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to ascertain the obstacles and complications associated with remarriage following divorce in Iran. After formulating the research question, the search process was conducted using the Thomas and Harden thematic synthesis method. The present study was a meta-synthesis of qualitative research themes. This search was conducted based on Persian and English keywords from Persian language (Noormags, Magiran, IranDoc, Comprehensive portal of humanities and SID) and English language databases (Google Scholar, Pub Med, Science Direct, Scopus, Research Gate). Sources were reviewed covering the period from 2001 to 2023. In this study, out of 32 qualitative studies related to the research topic conducted in Iran, finally, 12 completely related studies were included in the systematic review method. Thematic synthesis was analyzed inductively using Thomas and Harden’s method. Two primary themes and 9 categories were identified following the examination of the research findings. The first main theme, “Personal challenges” encompasses sub-themes such as psychological needs, individual challenges, financial challenges, and first marriage-related challenges. The second main theme, “Interpersonal Challenges,” includes sub-themes such as family challenges, second marriage challenges, challenges related to surrounding people, socio-cultural challenges, and parenting conflicts. From the identified challenges, it can be inferred that divorced individuals encounter challenges and issues in the personal and interpersonal domains as they establish and maintain a remarried existence. Therefore, it is more advantageous to prioritize these areas and obstacles during premarital counseling for remarriage.

Keywords

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Journal of Applied Psychological Research

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 02 October 2025
  • Receive Date: 13 May 2023
  • Revise Date: 13 June 2023
  • Accept Date: 17 July 2023
  • First Publish Date: 22 June 2024
  • Publish Date: 02 October 2025