Background: Parental divorce is one of the most stressful events in life. Parental divorce can be a source of emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral crises for children. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the lived experience of offspring of divorced parents.
Methods: The present study was a qualitative one with a phenomenological approach. The participants in the study were 10 preadolescents, aged 10 to 12, who lived in Karaj and had experienced parental divorce. They were selected using a purposive sampling method based on data saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured and in-depth interviews with participants. The Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method was used to analyze the data.
Results: In the data analysis, important statements were extracted from the text of the interviews and then classified into three stages in the form of semantic units, sub-themes, and main themes. The main themes are emotional experiences, underlying factors of parents' separation, factors affecting children's adjustment, and changes in family dynamics following a divorce.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that parental divorce, in addition to negative consequences such as diminished relationships with the noncustodial parent and societal stigma, may have positive consequences such as increased psychological well-being and decreased family conflicts. Therefore, it seems that these children need special attention from mental health professionals. A crucial step in enhancing the psychological well-being of this group of kids is development of treatment plans, such as family counseling and group therapy, that address different aspects of their issues.