An attachment-based pilot program to promote adolescent adjustment to parental divorce

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Parental divorce significantly impacts adolescent well-being.
• Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding adolescent adjustment.
• Interventions are needed to support adolescents through parental divorce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of an attachment-based intervention on adolescent adaptation to parental divorce.
• To evaluate the impact of the Adolescent Adjustment Pilot Program to Parental Divorce (AAPPD) on subjective well-being indicators.
• To identify changes in life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• An experimental group design was utilized.
• The study included 30 Chilean adolescents (ages 12-16).
• Data on adaptation indicators were collected over 6 and 12 months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Adolescents showed a significant decrease in negative affect at 6 and 12 months.
• No significant differences were found in life satisfaction or positive affect.
• The intervention's impact on broader divorce adaptation indicators was limited.

Conclusions:

• Attachment-based interventions may help reduce negative affect in adolescents of divorced parents.
• Further research is needed to enhance interventions for comprehensive adolescent divorce adaptation.
• Clinical implications suggest a targeted approach to address specific emotional outcomes.