Sense of Coherence in Young Adults With and Without Experience of Parental Divorce in Childhood

Abstract

The intent of this study was to look at personal resources, defined in this study as sense of coherence (SOC), as one possible factor explaining equalities and differences in mental health between individuals with and without experience of parental divorce, when traumatic experiences, other than a possibly traumatic parental divorce, were also considered. The results showed a significant connection between a strong SOC-29 and good mental health (Symptom Checklist-90/Global Severity Index), but no significant connection between SOC-29 and Life Incidence of Traumatic Events. Personal resources measured as strong sense of coherence seem to be important in retaining good mental health and for the capacity to deal with life incidences.

Keywords:

• mental health
• parental divorce
• personal resources
• traumatic life events

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research for research grants that made this study possible.