Black Men's Perceptions of Divorce-Related Stressors and Strategies for Coping With Divorce

Abstract

The divorce rate among Blacks in the United States has increased significantly in recent years. Consequently, an increasing number of Black men confront problems associated with adjusting to divorce. Using data from in-depth interviews, we identify factors that working-class/middle-class Black men perceive to cause significant stress following divorce and we examine strategies that they use to reestablish their lives. The results show that Black men confront the following divorce-related stressors: (a) financial strain, (b) noncustodial parenting, (c) child-support stressors, and (d) psychological as well as physiological distress. The findings suggest that divorced Black men experience profound postdivorce psychological distress. The data further indicate that Black men employ the following strategies to cope with the stress of marital dissolution: (a) reliance on family and friends, (b) involvement in church-related activities, (c) participation in social activities, and (d) establishment of intimate heterosexual relationships 1 year after divorce. These findings indicate that postdivorce adjustment should be scrutinized within relevant social-cultural contexts.