The Effect of Group Counseling Based on Spirituality on the Development of Positive Relations with Others and Self-acceptance in Girls of Divorced Families: An Experimental Study

Parents getting divorced is a stressful situation for the children that may expose them to many psychological problems. However, spiritual intervention can lead to adaptability, improved interpersonal relationships and, finally, empowerment of female children of divorce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group counseling model based on spirituality on the development of positive relations with others and self-acceptance in girls of divorce.

This was a quasi-experimental study involving two groups. The sample population included all girls whose parents had got divorced and were school students in Karaj, Iran, in the educational year 20172018. Out of the sample population, a total 20 girls were selected via accessible sampling method. Ten girls were assigned to the experimental and 10 to the control group. The experimental group received the treatment in eight (two-hour) sessions while the control group received no treatment. Immediately after the last treatment session, posttests were administered to the participants. Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Questionnaire was applied for collecting data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and MANCOVA. In this study, all the ethical considerations have been observed and the authors reported no conflict of interest.

The results showed that group counseling model based on spirituality had a significant effect on the development of positive relationships with others and self-acceptance in girls of divorce (P<0.05).

According to the findings, it seems that spiritual intervention is effective in increased positive relations with others and self-acceptance in girls after their parents’ divorce. Therefore, practical measures can be taken through group counseling based on spirituality to improve and promote their psychological wellbeing.