The development of a group program for separated or divorced parents
Creators: name: Hyde, Heather Rae
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2010

description: The focus of this study was on the development of the POSI-COPE group program for separated or divorced parents and an investigation of its efficiency and effectiveness. A survey of the literature in this area indicated that there was a paucity of systematic research in the field of group programs for separated parents coping with relationship dissolution. Utilizing a Program Development Model of research (Gottman and Markman, 1978), formative and summative strategies for planning and developing the POSI-COPE program were implemented. Through a distillation of major themes in the literature, the goals chosen for the development of the POSI-COPE program were: 1. To provide a supportive and reassuring group environment for participants, leading to a reduction in the intensity of anxiety experienced during the relationship dissolution process. 2. To share information about relationship dissolution and to help participants meet their needs through ventilation of feelings and effective problem-solving, leading to a reduction in the accumulation of negative feelings which inhibit the process of positive family change. 3. To encourage participants to be responsible for themselves and their behaviour and to focus on their strengths as parents (with or without custody of their children), leading to a greater sense of autonomy and self-esteem. The formative strategy for the development of the POSI-COPE program consisted of systematically describing the implementation of this program and monitoring its efficiency. The latter involved the use of self report post session and post program questionnaires. The feedback generated by these questionnaires confirmed that the participants had experienced the group environment as supportive and reassuring, that they had an opportunity to share and resolve some of their concerns and had gained information about the relationship dissolution process as well as affirming their identities as concerned parents. These findings suggested that the group leaders, the group discussions and the information provided were components that facilitated the success of the program. They also indicated the value of making minor modifications to the program and to extend its length. The summative strategy for the development of the POSI-COPE program consisted of assessing its effectiveness in achieving the three goals specified through the use of three measures, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Adjustment to Change Scale and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale relative to a no treatment wait list control group. Analysis of covariance was used to test the hypotheses generated within this segment of the study. The results indicated that: 1. The POSI-COPE program did not meet the criteria for the reduction of the intensity of anxiety experienced during the relationship dissolution process. 2. The POSI-COPE program did not meet the criteria for the reduction of the accumulation of negative feelings which inhibit the process of positive family change. 3. The POSI-COPE program met two of the seven criteria for the achievement of a greater sense of autonomy and self-esteem through reducing Self Criticism Scores and increasing positive ratings of Personal Self. It did not meet the remaining five criteria of this goal which were to increase positive self ratings on Total Score, Physical Self, Moral-Ethical Self, Family Self, and Social Self. Reasons for, and implications of these results were discussed and suggestions for program change and for further research were described.