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Factors which facilitate and hinder psycho-social adjustment for mothers who are living apart from their children

University of British Columbia

There is very little information in the literature on mothers without custody of their children. In an attempt to partially remedy this situation an exploratory study, based on in-depth interviews with mothers who voluntarily chose to live apart from their children, was conducted. The aim was to identify the factors facilitating and hindering adjustment for these women. Using a sample of 17 women who volunteered for the study, the critical incident technique was employed to gather data from the participants. The collected incidents were then grouped into categories and descriptive statements were formulated about each one. There were 212 critical incidents collected from the 17 participants. These incidents were grouped into 3 main categories and 15 sub-categories. The categories provide a concise and easily understood description of the facilitating and hindering factors affecting adjustment for non-custodial mothers. The reliability of the placement of items into the appropriate categories was tested by using four independent raters, using percentage of agreement as an index of reliability. Recommendations for supportive services and programs needed by, these women are offered. Therefore, the findings are useful for planning and implementing future programs for non-custodial mothers. As well, guidelines are presented for individual, family, and divorce mediation counsellors who find themselves working with this group of women.

Text

2010-07-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26863

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

Graduate