Thesis Title: Divorce Factors, Outcomes, Adjustments and Interventions: A Three-part Study on the Singapore Experience.
This thesis examines the topic of divorce in Singapore, an area that has not been extensively researched in Singapore.
The work comprises thre studies that explores different facets of the divorce experience and process of divorce. Study 1 adopts a quantitative method and a critical analysis of responses obtained from 136 divorced respondents who were invited to complete a self-administered structured questionnaire. Study 2, the main study of the research, employs a series of semi-structured interviews with 19 divorcees. A thematic analysis was used to determine the underlying themes of the experiences of these 19 divorcees.
Study 3 looked at the narratives of 12 expert counsellors who moderated and synthesised their clients’ experiences, and provided input from their professional experience. The empirical work in this thesis has two aspects: the first involves exploring the divorcees’ perceived reasons for divorce, and categorising them into predisposing and precipitating factors; and the second ascertains their responses to the divorce and identifies the factors that impacted their adjustment process and post-divorce growth.
The thesis, articulated in three distinct yet at the same time integrated studies, conclude that while divorce is a traumatic experience, divorcees are usually able to adjust and eventually achieve post-divorce growth.
The investigations and findings in this thesis will add considerably significant information and knowledge to enrich the data base in Singapore, and is likely to become a critical source of information for scholars, counsellors and policy makers concerned with divorce antecedents and consequence in both Singapore and internationally.