Being alone after late-life divorce: freedom and loneliness from an intergenerational familial/dyadic perspective

Chaya Koren, Yafit Cohen, Naor Demeter

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objectives: To examine in-depth experiences of loneliness and freedom after late-life divorce from an intergenerational familial/dyadic perspective in a family-oriented society that also values self-determination. Considering the expansion of late-life divorce, it is important to understand its consequences for the family wellbeing. Method: According to phenomenology tradition, data was collected through 51 semi-structured qualitative interviews, comprised from 7 family units (n = 33) including all/most family members and 9 parent-child dyads (n = 18), using thematic-analysis and dyadic interview-analysis principles. Analyzing family units enables a more complex examination of the phenomena, providing a holistic view of family life. Results: Loneliness and freedom experienced simultaneously was the most common. A gap was identified between generations regarding benefits and costs of late-life divorce. Whereas most divorcees emphasized the benefits of freedom, most of their adult-children mainly described the disadvantages of loneliness, perceiving both loneliness and freedom as negative. Conclusion: Late-life divorce is a complex experience comprised of both loneliness and freedom. Each generation experiences the benefits and costs of late-life divorce differently. Unique aspects of freedom and loneliness at old age in a socio-cultural context located between self-determination and family-oriented are discussed, including strategies of coping with loneliness. Implications for families and professionals are presented.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)176-184
Number of pages9
JournalAging and Mental Health
Volume29
Issue number1
Early online date11 Jul 2024
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Late-life divorce
  • familial/dyadic intergenerational perspective
  • freedom
  • loneliness
  • qualitative research

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Gerontology
  • Phychiatric Mental Health

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