Adolescents in Divorcing Families

Abstract

A representative sample of 3,198 Canadian adolescents in grades 6 through 12 was surveyed about seeking help in the face of parental separation and divorce. Qualitative content analyses of adolescents' responses to open-ended questions were used to identify themes that were reliably coded. In terms of “best” help-seeking options for adolescents in divorcing families, adult counsellors and friends were most frequently endorsed a total of 18 options generated by teens. When questioned about what helps youths to access the help they need, 11 themes emerged; peer support, a generally supportive environment, personal recognition of the need for help, a teen's personal strengths, and family support were most frequently mentioned. Obstacles to getting help were also coded into 11 reliable themes; feelings of being flooded or overwhelmed by negative feelings about the divorce, negative peer consequences, negative view of help options, psychological denial, and negative family influences were most frequently cited. Finally, an analysis of adolescents' overall psychological attitudes towards help-seeking revealed an optimistic/trusting outlook among the strong majority of respondents. A brief analysis of the types and helpfulness of past help-seeking attempts was presented. Sex-related, age-related, and experience-based differences in the adolescents' responses were considered, and implications of the findings for practice and research were discussed.