Divorce has changed from an unusual and suspect phenomenon to a common and socially accepted one within a period of 30 years. We are witnessing a steady increase in the overall number of older adults who are divorced, yet the majority of divorce research in this initial period has concerned itself with persons in the younger adult years. This book addresses the critical need for information on the impact of divorce on individuals in all age groups, and pays special attention to age as a factor in the effects of divorce on both men and women. Written by an interdisciplinary team of social and behavioural scientists, "Divorce: Crisis, Challenge or Relief?" provides the results gained from their life span study of divorced adults. "Divorce" is the product of hundreds of interviews containing a host of very specific questions conducted with divorced adults between the ages of 20 and 79, both just after their divorce and again several years later. This book is unique in that it draws on a random population of men and women from county courthouse records, rather than relying on special populations such as members of Parents Without Partners or persons who have sought therapy.
Included in the study were black and Hispanic Americans, as well as those leaving heterosexual marriages in order to adopt a more homosexually-oriented lifestyle. Key topics covered in the interviews were demographic issues, life before separation, the divorce process, relationships, physical health, mental health, goals, activities, time perspectives, stress and coping, and emotional well-being. Avoiding an overly statistical or mechanistic view of the effects of divorce, the authors have translated their empirical research into real terms and introduce case histories to highlight some of the major points raised. They also identify significant trends and patterns among divorced adults dealing with stress and the challengs of seeking new social supports.