MARITAL COUNSELLING AND INTENSITY OF CONFLICTS AMONG COUPLES IN ESAN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

Abstract

Marital conflict is an important relational concern because persistent and intense disagreements may undermine communication, emotional connection, marital stability, and the general quality of family life. Marital counselling provides professional assistance through which couples can examine recurring relational difficulties, improve communication, develop constructive conflict-management skills, and work towards healthier patterns of interaction. This study examined the relationship between marital counselling and the intensity of conflicts among couples in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The study was guided by one research question and one hypothesis. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. The population comprised 403 couples identified from marriages conducted in the Esan West marriage registry between 2020 and 2025. A sample of 150 respondents was selected through simple sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Effectiveness of Marital Counselling in Resolving Conflicts and Improving Relationship Satisfaction Questionnaire (EMCRCIRRSQ). The instrument was subjected to expert validation and test-retest reliability, which produced a coefficient of .61. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The descriptive results indicated generally favourable perceptions of marital counselling in relation to couples' experiences of conflict. The hypothesis test reported a significant relationship between marital counselling and intensity of conflicts, with a reported correlation coefficient of .802 and p = .041 at the .05 level of significance. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected based on the reported analysis. The study concludes that marital counselling is significantly associated with the intensity of conflicts among couples in the study area. It is recommended that accessible and culturally responsive marital counselling services be strengthened to support couples in managing recurring marital disagreements and developing constructive conflict-management skills.