The Phenomenology of Sensitive Mother-to-Children Disclosure of Divorce Concerns

The aim of the current research is to explore the experience of self-disclosure by divorced mothers about the issue of divorce to their children. In this qualitative study, a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with a purposive sample consisting of 22 divorced mothers with at least one child aged 10 to 38 years. Data analysis through Colaizzi's method led to the discovery of two main categories: self-disclosure topics and factors influencing them. Key topics raised include: expressing the reason for the divorce, decision-making about the imminent divorce, and problems arising after the divorce. Some of the influential factors on these self-disclosures include the age and gender of the child, and the mother's beliefs. The results indicate that the stresses related to divorce make mothers more prone to negative self-disclosure towards their children. Therefore, greater attention by mothers to the occurrence of this phenomenon in their interactions with children and the use of specialized counseling services can reduce the negative consequences of divorce.