The Effects of Divorce on Children: Post-Divorce Adaptation of Swedish Children to the Family Breakup

Abstract

The effecls of divorce on children were studied by combining responses of a structured interview with certain Rorschach scores. The subjects, 54 Swedish children from divorce families (27 girls, 27 boys) ranging in age between 10 and 12 years, were individually tested and interviewed. The Rorschach results were compared with the corresponding results from a matched control group of 54 children from intact families. The divorce group's test scores and data obtained from the interview were jointly subjected to a Ward-type cluster analysis. Rorschach scores measuring the children's level of anxiety, aggression, depression, etc. appeared to be related to the child's age at divorce, recency of divorce, relationship with the noncustodial parent and acceptance of divorce.