Life Adjustment of Divorced Women and Influence on Parent

Abstract

This study which was conducted in Hong Kong in 2024, utilized reflexive thematic analysis to collect 19 divorced women, aiming to understand life adjustment and parent–child relationships post-divorce. Three inter-related key areas of life adjustment were identified, namely: (1) navigating personal life after divorce; (2) navigating parenting adjustment; and (3) achieving coparenting success. These three inter-related dimensions are influential to foster healthy development of parent–child relationship in the post-divorce stage. The study found that many participants struggle to adopt active coping strategies in both personal life and parenting, even after being divorced for over a decade. The accumulated stress from divorce remains a significant concern. Parent–child relationships are more favorable when resident parents adopt active coping strategies. It is crucial for helping professionals to promote active coping strategies and encourage parents to understand their children's feelings, while considering the Chinese cultural context of which stigma against divorce is still prominent.

Keywords

divorced women adjustment parent/child relations coparenting Chinese families

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Life Adjustment of Divorced Women and Influence on Parent–Child Relationships in Hong Kong

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