An empirical investigation of emotional reactions to divorce.
Administered three personality tests to four groups (N = 74): (1) individuals who subjectively defined their marriages as good; (2) individuals who were undergoing marriage counseling; (3) individuals who had filed for divorce, but had not yet been to court; and (4) individuals who had been divorced between 6 and 12 months. These groups were selected to represent the various stages of the divorce process and thus constituted a cross-sectional design. Results indicated intensified feelings of depression, anxiety, and hostility as one entered marriage counseling. These feelings were maintained through the period of attaining the divorce; however, by the sixth to twelfth month after the divorce most of these negative feelings had disappeared.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004243:Divorce; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory