The Effect of Mindfulness and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Skills on Perceived Romantic Relationship Quality: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience

Perceived romantic relationship quality is critical for the sustainability of romantic relationships, particularly during the premarital period. Therefore, understanding the psychological mechanisms that contribute to relationship quality is essential. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between mindfulness, interpersonal emotion regulation, and perceived romantic relationship quality. The study included in 675 participants (396 female, 58.7%; 279 male, 41.3%) from across Türkiye, with an age range of 19 to 41+. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form (PIF), Perceived Romantic Relationship Quality Scale (PRRQS), Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Scale (IERS), Relationship Mindfulness Measure (RMM), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Following confirmatory factor analysis to validate the factor structures for each scale, the proposed relationships were tested using two structural equation models. Additionally, Pearson Correlation Analysis was utilized to examine the associations among the variables. The findings indicated that mindfulness, interpersonal emotion regulation, and psychological resilience were significant positive predictors of perceived relationship quality. Furthermore, psychological resilience was found to mediate the relationship between mindfulness and perceived relationship quality. Similarly, resilience demonstrated a significant mediating effect on the relationship between interpersonal emotion regulation and perceived relationship quality. These findings highlight the pivotal role of resilience in translating the benefits of mindfulness and effective emotion regulation into higher relationship quality. The results have significant practical implications for clinical contexts, such as premarital counseling and psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing relational well-being. All findings are discussed within the context of the relevant literature, and recommendations for future research are provided.