Older Women Coping with Divorce:

Abstract

This paper identifies the mid and later life divorce as a life cycle crisis and phase of transformation experienced by an increasing number of older heterosexual women. As women live longer, projections suggest that increasing numbers will divorce in their later years. Despite these trends, there is a lack of research and suggested treatment strategies. Since divorce has serious negative economic and social consequences for older heterosexual women, helping them to cope with this crisis is an important mental health challenge. This paper describes the peer support group model program, "Expanding Horizons," which enables women to heal and reconnect with others through participation and sharing with peers. This psychotherapist-facilitated service is affordable, accessible, and relevant. Another challenge addressed in this paper is helping the adult children of recently divorced parents. There is little known about the impact of parental divorce on adult children. However, there is a tendency for divorce to be repeated in successive generations. Research suggests that young women, more than men, have emotional difficulty with parental divorce. The authors are suggesting intergenerational work with peer support groups for recently divorced mothers and their young adult daughters. This intervention may contribute to intergenerational family stability.

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