Investigating the Experience of Spouse Selection in Children of Divorce: AQualitative Research

Roya Heydari; Mansour Sodani; Gholam Reza Rajabi; Reza Khojaste-Mehr

doi:10.18502/qjcr.v22i87.13986

Roya Heydari PhD Student in Counseling, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Mansour Sodani PhD in Counseling, Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Gholam Reza Rajabi PhD in Psychology, Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Reza Khojaste-Mehr PhD in Psychology, Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/qjcr.v22i87.13986

Keywords: Choosing spouse, children of divorce, phenomenology, qualitative research

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the experience of spouse selection in children of divorce. Methods: The present study was a qualitative phenomenological type. The present study's statistical population included 6 women and 4 men who wanted to divorce and had experienced the divorce of their parents in Kermanshah in 2022. The participants were selected by the available sampling method and the sampling continued until data saturation. The data were first recorded and coded to analyze the data, and then they were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Findings: The results of the research included 6 main themes and 19 sub-themes of the participants' experiences. The sub-themes included negative social attitude, problems of not being distinguished from the family, psychological problems, communication problems with the spouse and the spouse's family, feeling valuable as a person different from the parents, and adapting and building a life different from the parents. Conclusion: The results of the research showed that the children of divorce have negative experiences during the formation of life and marriage, which can lead to wrong choices or incompatibility and mental health problems in them. On the other hand, they also have positive experiences that make them learn from their parent's mistakes and seek education and counseling services to improve their marital life satisfaction and lead a better life than their parents.