Evaluating the efficacy of a group intervention for children of divorced families
Date
1999
Authors
Spring, Jenny
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Abstract
This study compares the efficacy of a group intervention for children of divorce (7-11 years old) versus the same group intervention for children with a concurrent group for parents. The program is designed to help children acknowledge their thoughts and feelings about divorce, and to equip children with problem solving. communication, self esteem building and stress reduction skills. The parents group is designed to help parents understand children's thoughts and feelings. to help parents with children's problem behaviour, and to provide parents with skills to help their families communicate more openly. Thirteen children and their parents were assigned to the child/parent concurrent group condition. Eleven children were assigned to the children's group only condition. Scores of children in the concurrent child/parent condition showed a significant decrease in paternal blame. Parents in the concurrent child/parent condition rated their family functioning as significantly less troubled. Self-esteem did not change significantly.