Changing the Legacy of Divorce: Evidence from Prevention Programs and Future Directions

This paper has two primary objectives. The first is to assess the current status of efforts to prevent mental health problems in children of divorce by highlighting the importance of using theory in the design and evaluation of prevention programs and by reviewing the empirical research on the efficacy of programs to improve outcomes for children of divorce. The second objective is to propose two future directions for advancing theory-based preventive interventions for children of divorce: (a) improving our understanding of the theoretical mechanisms underlying prevention program effects, and (b) bridging the gap between the current evidence of program efficacy and the development of a public health strategy to reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children of divorce.