Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Phd Student in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sar.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Sar.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Sar.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
4
Associate Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tehran Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22098/jpc.2025.17976.1337
Abstract
Aim:This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) and the parent-based intervention Assisting Children through Transition (A.C.T) in reducing problematic beliefs of children of divorce.
Method: The research design was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all 8–10-year-old students from divorced families in Sari, Iran, during 2024–2025. Using purposive sampling, 45 participants were selected and randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group. Children in the CODIP group attended fifteen weekly 45-minute sessions, while custodial parents in the A.C.T group participated in eight 90-minute sessions. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Children’s Beliefs About Parental Divorce Scale (Kurdek & Berg, 1987). The multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test was used in the SPSS-22 software environment.
Findings: Results revealed no significant difference between the CODIP and A.C.T programs in reducing problematic beliefs of children of divorce (P= 0.252). Nonetheless, both interventions were effective in improving these beliefs (F=134.07, P 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of preventive interventions in supporting the mental health of children of divorce. Both child-centered (CODIP) and parent-centered (A.C.T) approaches can be effective, and practitioners and policymakers could implement them to promote children’s well-being and mitigate the negative effects of parental divorce.
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