A Comprehensive examination of the social, legal, and psychological dimensions of child marriage in Iran: a critical interpretive synthesis

Background Child marriage in Iran is a complex phenomenon situated at the intersection of patriarchal structures, structural poverty, and legal ambiguity, resulting in profound physical and psychological trauma among affected women. Objective This study aims to identify and comprehensively synthesize the underlying determinants, lived consequences, and intervention strategies associated with child marriage in Iran through a critical interpretive synthesis of scientific, legal, and narrative literature. Methods A total of 118 scholarly sources, including quantitative and qualitative studies, jurisprudential-legal texts, historical analyses, and realist narrative accounts were reviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis and axial coding to identify recurring patterns in the contributing factors and consequences of this phenomenon. Findings The findings indicate that child marriage emerges from the convergence of three interrelated dimensions: poverty, the reproduction of traditional norms, and legal legitimization (Article 1041 of the Civil Code). At the psychological level, the phenomenon is associated with a loss of voice and agency, disruption of identity formation, and grief over a lost childhood. At the legal-religious level, a clear tension was identified between traditional jurisprudential rulings and contemporary requirements reflected, for instance, in principles such as the prohibition of harm ( ā -ḍ arar ) and rational repugnance underscoring the need for legal reform. Furthermore, an examination of coping strategies revealed that passive submission and constrained adaptation predominate among affected women. Among intervention approaches, narrative therapy and couple-therapy models (including approaches drawing on Emotionally Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) showed favorable outcomes in the individual studies reviewed, though the small number and limited comparability of these studies mean this synthesis cannot establish which approach is most effective, nor can it support population-level claims about marital dissolution rates. Conclusion Child marriage in Iran constitutes a structural and multidimensional social problem that is perpetuated through the subjugation and disempowerment of women. Addressing this phenomenon requires a multifaceted approach encompassing: (1) fundamental reform of Article 1041 of the Civil Code; (2) implementation of poverty-reduction and educational policies; and (3) specialized clinical interventions aimed at rebuilding the identity and attachment security of women affected by child marriage.