The Effects of Guilt on Divorce Adjustment

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between guilt and adjustment after divorce. It was hypothesized divorced persons who experienced high levels of guilt will experience lower levels of post-divorce adjustment, as measured by depression, role strain, and continuing attachment after divorce. The sample consisted of 29 men and 44 women, all of whom were presently divorced and had not been married to one another. The sample was drawn from self-help organizations in the southeastern part of the United States. Data were analyzed using correlations and multiple regression. Guilt correlated with both depression and continuing attachment after divorce. Guilt was regressed against a linear combination of depression, role strain, and attachment, but only depression and attachment were significantly related to guilt.