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Forgiveness, Adjustment to Divorce and Support from the Former Spouse in Spain

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Abstract

This study explored in a sample of 223 divorced Spanish parents the relationship of forgiveness of an ex-spouse, adjustment to divorce and support received from the former spouse. Personal and contextual variables as education, income, number of children and time since the divorce correlated with forgiveness. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that adjustment to divorce was the main predictor of forgiveness, along with education and time since the divorce. Adjustment to divorce and forgiveness predicted support received from the ex-spouse. Data from this study suggested that: (a) better adjusted and more educated parents were more forgiving than those with adjustment difficulties, (b) forgiving parents were more able to acknowledge the cooperation and support received from their ex-spouses; or parents receiving more support from their ex-spouses were more ready to forgive them and (c) adjustment to divorce was the main factor implicated both in forgiveness and in support received from the ex-spouse. These data may be of interest with regard to the design of interventions with divorced parents to promote an adequate co-parenting and a positive dynamic in the post-divorce family.

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  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Tolosa etorbidea 70, 20003, San Sebastián, Spain

    Sagrario Yárnoz-Yaben

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  1. Sagrario Yárnoz-Yaben
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Correspondence to Sagrario Yárnoz-Yaben.

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Yárnoz-Yaben, S. Forgiveness, Adjustment to Divorce and Support from the Former Spouse in Spain. J Child Fam Stud 24, 289–297 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9835-x

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