NO REGRETS - CUSTODIAL MOTHERS ACCOUNTS OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND BENEFITS OF DIVORCE

This study examines the accounts of 80 divorced single mothers in orde r to consider various emotional processes involved in the mothers' pos tdivorce family reorganization. A qualitative analysis was conducted o n written responses to an open-ended question. Concerns tended to cent er around how the divorce had affected the children as well as various difficulties associated with single parenting. Loss and guilt on the part of many mothers was tempered by positive attributions about how d ivorce actually gave way to greater personal happiness, better parent- child relationships, and more rewarding lives. Focusing on the benefit s of divorce appeared to be an important means of coping with many of the problems inherent in single parenting. Implications for treatment are discussed from an ecological perspective which emphasizes the ther apist's role in helping mothers to create contexts of support.