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Demonization of Divorce: Prevalence Rates and Links to Postdivorce Adjustment
Author(s) -
Krumrei Elizabeth J.,
Mahoney Annette,
Pargament Kenneth I.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00635.x
Subject(s) - demonization , anger , psychology , social psychology , spouse , coping (psychology) , clinical psychology , sociology , law , political science , politics , anthropology
The meaning‐making process can be crucial to individuals as they adjust to their divorce. Demonization is a negative coping response (also known as spiritual struggle) that involves appraising someone or something as related to demonic forces. Individuals may cognitively frame a divorce as the work of Satan in order to understand suffering while maintaining beliefs in a just world or benevolent God. In this study, nearly half (48%) of the community sample (N = 100) endorsed some form of demonization related to their recent divorce. Differences were observed in psychological postdivorce adjustment (post‐traumatic stress, depression, anger, and positive/negative spiritual emotions) among groups with differing levels of demonization of divorce, demonization of ex‐spouse, and demonization of self (none, low, and high). Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.