The Effectiveness of Intervention Programmes for Children of Divorce - a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study in the form of a meta-analysis evaluates the overall effectiveness of intervention programmes for children of divorce. A total of 23 studies were analysed (total study population N = 1 615). The average effect size (ES) of all programmes was d = 0.43 based on a homogeneous set of data. The best results were attained by interventions applied during the first two years after the separation/divorce (d = 0.99) at the age of 9-12 years (d = 0.50) with no more than ten sessions (d = 0.66), each lasting about 60-75 minutes (d = 0.61). Group size was not so relevant, but there is a tendency for groups of medium size to be more efficient than small groups. The results were found to be dependent on the methodological quality of the studies, and the method of operationalisation used. The results are discussed in terms of possibilities for improving and further developing intervention programmes for children of divorce (eg by selecting risk groups).

Keywords:

• divorce
• intervention
• meta-analysis
• children