Adjustment of Adult Children of Divorce: A Comparative Analysis
Date of Award
Summer 8-22-2015
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Lavita Nadkarni
Second Advisor
Shelly Smith-Acuña
Third Advisor
Shelley Bresnick
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Young adult children, Divorce, Siblings, Adult sibling relationship questionnaire (ASRQ), Only children
Abstract
This article examines the unique experiences of young adult children ages 18-29 as they navigate their lives after parental divorce. Seven participants were interviewed using questions adapted from the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (ASRQ) (Lanthier, Stocker & Furman, 1997), as well as those developed after review of current literature on the topic. The purpose of this study was to discover whether the presence of a positive sibling relationship was a protective factor for adult children during and directly after parental divorce. The procedure included an examination of common and differing experiences of the adult child of divorce through the exploration and analysis of narratives. These narratives were provided by subjects who identified a positive relationship with a sibling during the parental divorce, and subjects identifying as only-children. Results from this study indicate that adult children of divorce often feel most supported and comforted by the simple feeling of sharing the experience. It was found that a sibling is not necessarily a protective factor, however, a sibling seems to provide an unparalleled shared experience other forms of support cannot. Further analysis of the results was then used to examine the clinical implications for those providing services for this population.
Copyright Date
7-13-2015
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Rights Holder
Emily A. Kerr
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
38 pgs
File Size
219 KB
Recommended Citation
Kerr, Emily A., "Adjustment of Adult Children of Divorce: A Comparative Analysis" (2015). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 12.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/12