Post-divorce Level of depression, Living arrangement and coping mechanisms of teenagers: the case of Yeka First Instance Court Child Justice Project Office, Children’s Legal Protection, Addis Ababa
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Date
2016-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study was conducted in the capital city, A.A. with the aim of assessing the level of postdivorce
depression level, living arrangement and the coping mechanisms that are used by the
teenagers. Sixty adolescents was selected by purposive sampling aged from 13-17 years were
participated to collect data using Beck Depression inventory, which is structured questionnaire,
was used as a tool to measure the level of depression in teenagers for quantitative approach. On
the other hand in-depth interview was used to elaborate the questions in more clear way for
qualitative part. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze participant socio demographic profile as
well as association and relation between the dependent and independent variable. Out of which
11 male (18.3%) and 49(81.7%) female. Twenty three (38%) adolescent were found to have
normal and the rest were in the other categories (mild, moderate, borderline, severe and
extreme) of depression level. In this study, 4 statistical tools(correlation, T-test ,One way
ANOVA and regression ) were run. Bivarate analysis showed that there was a moderate,
positive correlation between BDI score and age of the respondent, which was statistically
significant (r═ 0.480, n ═ 60, p< 0.01) and one way ANOVA result indicate that there was a
significant mean difference, F(2,57) =5.046, (P<0.05) among the three educational background
of the respondent groups, while there was no significant mean difference between religion.
According to an independent sample T-test finding , there was a significantly mean difference
in the post –Divorce level of depression between adolescent living with father (M = 10.33
,SD=4.888) and mother (M =18.71,SD= 9.930 ) adolescents (t(58)) -4.385,p<0.05). The post
–Divorce level of depression among adolescents living with father was lower than mother
While there was no a significantly mean difference in the post –Divorce level of depression
between male (M =7.64,SD =2.803) and female (M =17.22,SD=7.921) adolescents (t(58)) -
2.546 ,p>0.05). In addition to this, the post –Divorce level of depression among male was
lower than female adolescents but there was a significantly significant. Similarly, there was
no a significantly mean difference in the post –Divorce level of depression between age group
below 15 (M =9.91 ,SD =4.766) and age group between 16-17 (M =16.11 ,SD= 9.070 )
adolescents (t(58)) -3.400 ,p>0.05).No significant difference observed in Multivarate analysis
of this study. As it was indicated from in-depth interview, teenagers used informal support system
and formal support systems were able to cope up with their depression. Teen with their mother
as custodial parent, had positive relationship unlike their father. Finally, residential change,
educational performance, and attitudinal change toward marriage were found to be major
experiences of teen after parent separation. Conflict was a major cause of separation between
their parents which before make them depressed and most teenagers replied that mood swing is
now what they feel but as they said they prefer their parents' divorce than bad marriage friendly
intervention could resolve the problem if initiated early .As social work implications, support
programs have to be developed to deal with the need of children and families on parental
separation and after. Research should be done on Children’s experiences of court processes in
connection with parental separation and divorce. Social work education curriculum should
consider to create different ways to children cope with effect of divorce. Family policy should be
child centered to reduce the effect of divorce on children
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Keywords
Depression; divorce; teenagers