Postdivorce Adjustment in Singapore: Factors,Themes, and Positive Growth

Although there is a fairly large literature on postdivorce adjustment in the United States, comparatively little research has been conducted on the topic in Singapore. In addition, the majority of research to date has focused on the negative impacts of divorce and has tended to ignore potential positive growth opportunities that might result from the experience. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature through a thematic analysis of interviews with divorcees in Singapore. Specifically, this study identifies factors contributing to positive postdivorce adjustments within the multicultural, multiethnic, and multireligious context found in Singapore. A review of participant responses identified 15 specific factors related to the potential for experiencing a positive postdivorce adjustment. Further review indicates that these factors can be grouped into 6 themes that could specifically inform counselors and other mental health professionals working in Singapore to assist with the adjustment process.     

AFTER DIVORCE

This paper reports the findings of a study designed to consider personality variables related to postdivorce adjustment. It was hypothesized that the more-or-less enduring personal characteristics of individuals are as important. and possibly more so, than variables such as age, sex, and length of time divorced. 58 females and 31 males completed the Blair Divorce Adjustment Inventory, the 16 PF, and a Personal Data Sheet. The top 25% of the sample in adjustment scores and the lowest 25% were selected for comparison. t-tests were used to determine significance of differences of the mean scores for each of the scales of the 16 PF. Significant differences were found between the Best Adjusted and Poorest Adjusted groups on 9 dimensions of personality. Persons who had achieved the best adjustment lo divorce scored significantly higher on measures of dominance1 assertiveness, self-assurance, intelligence, creativitylimagination. social boldness, liberalism, self-sufficiency. ego strength and tranquillity. The hypothesis that basic personality Factors are important in postdivorce adjustment was supported by the results of this study. These results contribute to our knowledge about the complicated process of sociallpsychological adjustment to the crisis of divorce.     

How a Divorcee’s Sexual Life Is Socially Constructed and Understood in the Iranian Culture

Sexual well-being is an important factor in postdivorce adjustment and presents various challenges for divorced women in Iran. With an alarming number of marriages ending in divorce in Iran, the postdivorce sexuality adjustment process has become a major concern. Meanings attached to the sexuality of a divorcee necessitate different adjustment and coping strategies among women. How these meanings are generated, negotiated, and modified in Iranian contexts has yet to be explored. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze the extensive, rich data obtained through sustained interaction with the informants as well as through in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions. “Sociosexual problems” was found to be one of the main domains in our study. Participants experienced a negative impact from divorce on their sexual lives, including sexual interactions. Social isolation and social exclusion resulted from the avoidance of stereotypic interactions and were often a consequence of difficulties with concealment of sexual needs due to stigma. Women discussed a range of negative experiences arising in response to their sexual needs in postdivorce life. The analysis revealed the complexities of gendered postdivorce sexual trajectories. Based on the findings, articulating a sexual health model specific for divorced women seems important.     

Marital Satisfaction in Turkish Remarried Families: Marital Status,Stepchildren, and Contributing Factors

This study aimed to compare marital satisfaction among those of different marital status (first-married, postdivorce remarried, and postbereavement remarried) based on gender; to investigate the effect of decision of divorce on marital satisfaction of postdivorce remarried individuals; to examine the effect of type of death on marital satisfaction of postbereavement remarried individuals; and to examine the effect of stepchildren on marital satisfaction of remarried individuals. It was also intended to investigate the predictive power of demographic and contextual variables on marital satisfaction in different households. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale and an information form were administered to 116 first-married and 223 remarried individuals. To test the hypotheses of the study, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were performed. Results revealed that there was no significant marital satisfaction difference in terms of marital status. Remarried individuals with residential stepchildren had lower marital satisfaction than those with nonresidential stepchildren and those without stepchildren. For first-married individuals, length of marriage and income predicted marital satisfaction. For postdivorce remarried individuals, gender and presence of mutual children were predictors. For postbereavement remarried individuals, length of current marriage and income were significant predictors. For those with stepchildren, only residence of stepchildren significantly predicted marital satisfaction. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of relevant literature.     

Facilitating Postdivorce Adjustment Among Women:

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of communication skills training on adjustment to divorce and separation among women. Divorcees in the experimental group (N = 13) received 15 hours of training in interpersonal communication skills, along with didactic information regarding various aspects of the postdivorce adjustment process. Divorcees in the control group (N = 15) received no treatment. Results indicated that the experimental group, relative to the control group, significantly increased in overall divorce adjustment and in empathy skills. Although the experimental group, relative to the control group, showed some increase in selfesteem, the results were not conclusive. No significant differences were found between the experimental group and the control group in either perceived social support or selfdisclosure skill. Discussion centered on the advantages of structured skills training as a strategy for intervention in the postdivorce adjustment process.     

Significant Family Dynamics Related to Postdivorce Adjustment in Parents and Children

ABSTRACT

This study concentrates on the postdivorce adjustment of parents and children in families with shared parenting time arrangements. Thirty divorcing parents with children aged 12 to 59 months old were interviewed using a semistructured telephone interview regarding their early experiences in the divorce process. Findings showed that work–family balance issues were related to postdivorce parental adjustment for mothers. Interparental hostility was related to child alienation and paternal overnight stays. Length of time since physical separation was related to number of overnight stays. These results shed light on the early experiences of families with young children going through the divorce process.     

The Role of Humor Styles and Shared Laughter in the Postdivorce Recovery Process

ABSTRACT

Humorous communication has the potential to bolster resilient outcomes in individuals, and this could be especially true postdivorce. Framed by the resilience model and the stress buffering hypothesis, this study examined humor styles and shared laughter as coping mechanisms following divorce. Results indicate that participants (N = 89) who used self-defeating humor experienced physical stress, the time since the divorce was finalized influenced stress and rumination, and physical stress symptoms are suppressed by shared laughter with a source of social support. The implications of humor as an individual resource and shared laughter as a social resource in postdivorce resiliency are discussed.     

Divorce Stress and Adjustment Model

One hundred and seven recently divorced men and . women completed a mailed questionnaire eliciting locus of control, difficulties, decision time, and divorce stress and adjustment. Public records were used to obtain demographic data. The path analysis derived final model suggests: (I) Locus of control is related to pre- decision stress, peak stress point, stress intensity, stress duration, and postdivorce stress and adjustment, but unrelated to decision time. (2) The relationship between locus of control and heavy stress chan es over time from an inverse to a direct relationship. (3) Com- pare f to women, men report less predecision stress, shorter predeci- sion periods, lower postdivorce adjustment, and more external Rot- ter Locus of Control scores. (4) Marriage length is directly related to decision time and stress duration, but inversely related to predeci- sion stress, point of peak stress, and postdivorce stress. (5) Childless couples report fewer difficulties, less postdecision stress, and shorter predecision intervals.     

Examining the Reliability and Validity of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale: The Persian Version

This study was an attempt to determine the factor structure, reliability, validity, and adaptation of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS) for Iranian divorced individuals. The primary rationale for this study was the lack of such an instrument in an Iranian context to help researchers and therapists determine postdivorce adjustment and distinguish those in need of receiving psychological help. Participants of this study were 486 individuals (49.5% men, 50.5% women) who were divorced and were selected from the available population. Participants were asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire, the FDAS (Fisher, 1978), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ; Ghanbarnejad & Turki, 2013). The results showed that the internal consistency of FDAS using Cronbach’s alpha was .93 and the split-half coefficient was .89, indicating fine consistency. Also, the internal consistency of FDAS subscales measuring self-worth, disentanglement from the ex-partner, anger, grief, social trust, and social self-worth was .81, .86, .89, .88, .86, and .69, respectively, using Cronbach’s alpha. Data analysis shows an adequate convergent validity with the SWLS and GHQ. It can be concluded that the FDAS has an acceptable factor structure, reliability, and validity, and can be used in Iran and other Persian-speaking countries.     

Abused Latina Women's Perceptions of Their Postdivorce Adjustment

This qualitative study explores the postdivorce adjustment of battered Latina immigrants. Three focus groups were conducted. Data were analyzed utilizing a grounded theory approach. Five conceptual themes were unearthed including: (a) intimate partner violence (IPV) as the precipitator for divorce; (b) motivations for leaving; (c) the impact of the Latino culture on marriage, separation, and postdivorce; (d) immigration and other legal and social issues; and (e) postdivorce/post-IPV experiences. Implications for practice are drawn.     

After the Divorce

The present study compares postdivorce adjustment factors among older, long-married persons with similar familial factors among younger divorced persons. Data collected from personal interviews indicate that older divorced persons are not devastated by their divorce. Although these two groups do not differ in their overall scores of emotional health as measures by the General Well-Being Scale, within certain categories the older persons appear to be emotionally healthier. Statistically significant differences between the two samples include: importance of family closeness; conflict in relationships; and forewarning of the divorce from family members. There are also differences in the familial factors that predict well-being for the two age groups. Professionals intervening at all system levels should be sensitive to age differences and incorporate familial factors that ameliorate postdivorce adjustment. Implications for practice with older divorced persons include strengthening parent/adult child relationships and creatively designing programs at macro and micro levels to decrease family conflict. With younger divorced persons, conflict mediation with the family following divorce is necessary.     

How Does Divorce Affect Iranian Women's Sexual Well-Being?

Sexuality and divorce are two interwoven subjects with complex effects on women's sexual well-being in Iranian culture. Results of this exploratory study using focus group discussions and individual interviews revealed how the sexual well-being of women was influenced by the divorce experience through common patterns and recurring themes. A total of 26 women participated voluntarily in the study. They were approached through a selected social support group in a center in West Tehran in 2011, and all had been divorced for less than 10 years. For the majority, sexuality-related matters became complicated and jeopardized their overall well-being in postdivorce life. This finding, along with the fact that the majority were seeking financial and emotional support, implies that counseling women and providing economic support for postdivorce life might improve women's sexual well-being.     

Attorneys' Perceptions of Their Role in Divorce

The traditional advocate role of the attorney in divorce has come under attack because the rational-logical emphasis of the legal system has not provided an ideal atmosphere for the resolution of conflict and, in fact, may serve as a catalyst to increased hostilities. This paper examines the attorney role in terms of the traditional advocate versus the nontraditional counselor (since the advent of no-fault statutes in Georgia) in a sample of 22 attorneys with experience in divorce practice. The sample was drawn from the Atlanta metropolitan area and smaller metropolitan units within Georgia. The data suggest perceived interdependence between the judicial system (attorneys and the court) and emotional support systems (e.g., family counseling) as a means of facilitating postdivorce adjustment.     

The Role of Social Participation in Postseparation and Postdivorce Adjustment

This study examines the role of social participation in postseparation and postdivorce adjustment. The subjects, 277 members of Parents with-out Partners chapters in two metropolitan areas, were administered a 273-item questionnaire containing the Postdivorce Problems and Stress Scale especially constructed for this research. It was found that higher levels of social participation were strongly related to lower stress. The following questions were also explored: (a) When do people participate more? (b) When is social participation particularly important for alleviating stress? and (c) Why do older males participate more than younger males and all females?     

Relationship Components and Nature of Postdivorce Parenting Responsibilities Among Individuals Going Through a Divorce

ABSTRACT

The relationship components and nature of postdivorce parenting responsibilities were examined among individuals going through different levels of conflict as measured by level of court involvement during their divorce and 6 months later. A modification of the Binuclear Family Research Project Questionnaire was employed to examine communication, interaction, anger, guilt, positive feelings, and attitude toward former spouse as a parent for 110 parents of children under the age of 18 going through a divorce or dissolution. Participants were classified into 1 of 4 groups based on level of court involvement: dissolution, divorce with low conflict, divorce with moderate conflict, and divorce with high conflict. Results suggested that individuals going through dissolutions have better communication, more interaction, and a more positive attitude toward their former spouse than individuals going through high-conflict divorces. Suggestions are offered for addressing postdivorce conflict and future research.     

The Role of Cohabitation in Remarriage

Using 3 subsamples of remarried respondents (n =1,583, 971, and 926) in the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households, this study investigates how different types of cohabitation, especially postdivorce cohabitation, affect the timing and quality of remarriage in the United States. Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis indicates that postdivorce cohabitation in general and postdivorce cohabitation with multiple partners in particular delay remarriage. Furthermore, echoing previous research findings on the relationship between premarital cohabitation and relationship quality, the ordered logistic analysis shows that postdivorce cohabitation with a spouse is associated with lower levels of remarital happiness, and postdivorce cohabitation of all types tends to be associated with higher levels of remarital instability. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.     

A Study of Sex Role Expectancy and Female Postdivorce Adjustment

The purpose of this study was to identify factors significantly related to the postdivorce adjustment of women. Fifty-three divorced Caucasian women were administered four instruments: Demographic Data-Checklist; Expressed Acceptance of Self Scale; Social Avoidance and Distress Scale; and a modified form of the Marriage Role Expectation Inventory. The study results indicated that women with more equalitarian sex role expectations were significantly better adjusted than women who were less equalitarian in their attitudes. Older women and those who had been married longer were also found to be better adjusted. Lack of communication and conflicts regarding family responsibilities and roles were also found to be predominant factors in the decision to divorce. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research, and implications for future research are indicated.     

“I Felt Guilty for Being So Happy”: Narrative Expressions and Management of Postdivorce Ambivalence

Scholars have highlighted ambivalence as a central feature of experiences of divorce and its aftermath and discussed ambivalence as an important issue for divorcees in adjusting to their new status. While most of this scholarship assesses postdivorce ambivalence as a psychological phenomenon to be addressed therapeutically, this study analyzes postdivorce ambivalence as an interpretive problem to be addressed sociologically. Following Merton’s (1976) insight that ambivalence be viewed as rooted in culture and social structure as well as individual psyche, we use a narrative analytic perspective to examine how divorcees both discursively express and interpretively manage their ambivalence. We then consider some of the more general cultural discourses—such as images of marriage and divorce—that shape or condition these narratives. Ultimately, we argue that conflicting stances toward marriage in the wider U.S. culture are at once important sources of postdivorce ambivalence and significant interpretive resources for its discursive management.     

Divorce and psychological stress.

While research on adjustment to divorce has been extensive, the paucity of studies assessing stress before and after divorce has kept the relation between psychological stress and martial dissolution unclear. Conflicting findings cast some doubt on the utility of using a crisis model to study divorce. Analysis of three-wave panel data from a national sample of persons married in 1980 indicates that the crisis model is appropriate for understanding adjustment to divorce. Comparisons of divorced persons with married persons show a predivorce rise in stress which then returns to levels comparable to those reported by married individuals. No evidence was found supporting the idea that a high level of psychological stress is a general cause of divorce or that dissolution resulted in more or less permanent elevation of psychological stress. Findings support the hypothesis that predivorce resources and outlooks influence the amount of stress experienced in the two years immediately following divorce. Below median family incomes, no post-high school experience, and wife not in the labor force put divorcing individuals at a disadvantage. Individuals reporting few premarital troubles and beliefs in the immorality of divorce also appear to experience heightened stress in the two years following divorce.     

The Effectiveness of Fisher’s Rebuilding Group Intervention on Divorce Adjustment and General Health of Iranian Divorced Women

This research explores the effects of participating in the Rebuilding Seminar on postdivorce adjustment and the general health of divorced women in Arak, Iran. For this quasi-experimental study, 15 participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Prior to the participation in group intervention, participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–28). Participants then completed the 10 weekly, 2-hour group intervention program. After the completion of the group intervention, postintervention questionnaires were administered. Results indicate that this particular educational program affected adjustment in participants on all subscales of the FDAS, except for social self-worth. The results also suggest that the intervention program was effective on all subscales of the GHQ–28, except for somatic symptoms. Due to numerous changes in the life of divorced women and the stressful nature of divorce, designing and implementing effective intervention plans seems necessary and constructive.