The Role of Forgiveness in Divorce Adjustment and the Impact of Affect |
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| Authors: | Juliet Rohde-Brown Kjell Erik Rudestam |
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| Institution: | 1. Clinical Psychology , Antioch University Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California, USA jrohde@antioch.edu;3. School of Psychology , Fielding Graduate University , Santa Barbara, California, USA |
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| Abstract: | The role of forgiveness and affect was investigated in relation to divorce adjustment. Ninety-one participants separated from their ex-spouse less than 30 months completed a background questionnaire, the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI), the Self Forgiveness Scale (SFS), the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Inventory (CES–D), the Spielberger State–Trait Anger Inventory (STAXI–2), and the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS). There were significant relationships between depression and the capacity to forgive and between being in an angry feeling state and harboring a lack of forgiveness toward the ex-spouse. The relationship that emerged as the most powerful was that between trait anger and lack of self-forgiveness. Forgiveness intervention that occurs early in the divorce adjustment process is implicated, particularly in relation to the self. |
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| Keywords: | divorce adjustment forgiveness self-forgiveness trait anger state anger depression |
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