The Impact of Custodial Arrangement on the Adjustment of Recently Divorced Fathers

Abstract

The impact of custodial arrangement on the adjustment of recently divorced fathers was explored. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the General Adjustment Questionnaire designed by the authors were administered to three groups of men: divorced fathers with custody of thier children, divorced fathers without custody and a comparison group of married fathers. Several statistically significant findings indicated that divorced fathers with custody of their children exhibited less depression and anxiety and fewer problems in general adjustment than those without custody. Results also indicated that divorced custodial fathers were similar to married fathers in their patterns of adjustment whereas noncustodial divorced fathers differed markedly from their custodial and married counterparts. The results highlight the importance of the children's presence as a facilitative, stabilizing factor in post-divorce adjustment for men. Implications for future research and clinical intervention are discussed.

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