The primary purpose of this study was to compare the effects of using a structured cognitive postseparation/postdivorce adjustment group to a contrasting structured noncognitive postseparation/postdivorce adjustment group in reducing reactive, unipolar depression and increasing adjustment. The effectiveness of both treatment groups also was compared to a no-treatment comparison group. / The sample was composed of subjects volunteering for postdivorce counseling, and separated and divorced subjects not seeking treatment who were solicited for research participation. After stratifying for sex and level of depression, 22 persons who were seeking counseling were randomly assigned to group therapy; 11 to a structured noncognitive group and 11 to a structured cognitive group. Twelve persons were selected for inclusion in the no-treatment comparison group. The group treatment sessions were conducted by two different teams of advanced doctoral level marital and family therapy students. Each team consisted of a male and a female member. The treatment groups met once each week for two hour sessions for a 10 week period. A pretest-posttest experimental design was employed with the Raschke Postdivorce Problems and Stress Scale used to measure divorce adjustment and the Beck Depression Inventory utilized to measure depression. / Paired samples t-test revealed that all three groups achieved significant amounts of change in improving adjustment and decreasing depression levels during the 10 weeks. Analysis of covariance, with the pretest scores as the covariate, revealed no significant differences among any of the groups existed. There was a trend in the data, however, suggesting that the structured cognitive group members improved more on divorce adjustment than the comparison group members. / Multiple regression analysis revealed that being the spouse who suggested the divorce led to being better adjusted. Those persons with fewer resources, i.e. less income and education, experienced more depression and had a more difficult adjustment to the divorce. The responsibility of parenting, especially having custody, increased the adjustment problems during separation/divorce. / This study provides additional support for the effectiveness of short-term structured group treatment models to facilitate divorce adjustment and relieve depression. Questions were raised, however, regarding the adequacy of group treatment alone to meet the needs of moderately and severely depressed, poorly adjusted persons who experience separation and divorce. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: A, page: 2462. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74883 |
| Contributors | BARLOW, LARRY OLIVER., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 194 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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