Comparison of Emotional Processing, Emotional Failure, and Cognitive Adjustment of Emotions in Students with Divorced and Non-Divorced Parents

Abstract

Background: divorce causes emotional and psychological damages to children. On this basis, emotional processing, emotional failure, and emotional adjustment of students with divorced and non-divorced parents were compared in Isfahan city, Iran.

Methods: In this descriptive-analytic causative-comparison study, all students with divorced and non-divorced parents were investigated in Isfahan. In this research, non-probability sampling method was used. In order to conduct the study, 200 middle-school students with divorced and non-divorced parents were selected (100 students had divorced and 100 had non-divorced parents).The questionnaires used in this study included emotional processing questionnaire, emotional failure, and emotional adjustment questionnaire. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance.

Results: The results showed that emotional processing, emotional failure, and emotional adjustment were significantly different between the two groups of students with divorced parents and non-divorced parents (P-value < 0.001). Although students with divorced parents had lower scores in components of emotional processing and emotional adjustment, they had higher scores in emotional failure.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, emotional processing, emotional failure, and emotional adjustment of students with divorced parents should be considered. In this regard, a suitable method of intervention is required, such as treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy and mind-consciousness to reach acceptable normal level of transformational process.