TY - JOUR
T1 - An Exploratory Study of Factors Contributing to Divorce Among Married Couples in Accra, Ghana
T2 - A Qualitative Approach
AU - Oppong Asante, Kwaku
AU - Osafo, Joseph
AU - Nyamekye, Georgina K.
PY - 2014/1
Y1 - 2014/1
N2 - Against the backdrop that divorce is increasingly becoming a public health problem in Ghana, especially in urban areas, a qualitative approach was used to explore the possible reasons for divorce among 12 Ghanaian divorcees living in the urban area of Accra. Participants selected purposively were made up of 4 males and 8 females between the ages of 32 and 45 years, with a mean age of 36.5. Findings showed that the period of honeymooning provided a context that either destabilized or stabilized the union. Nonsubmissiveness, inadequate love and affection, and lack of trust were identified as the main reasons for divorce. Participants expressed mixed feelings about early expectations from marriage and a sense of regret and stigmatization after the dissolution of the marriage. Postmarital counseling should be encouraged to help address possible problems that are likely to arise and destabilize couples during the course of the marriage.
AB - Against the backdrop that divorce is increasingly becoming a public health problem in Ghana, especially in urban areas, a qualitative approach was used to explore the possible reasons for divorce among 12 Ghanaian divorcees living in the urban area of Accra. Participants selected purposively were made up of 4 males and 8 females between the ages of 32 and 45 years, with a mean age of 36.5. Findings showed that the period of honeymooning provided a context that either destabilized or stabilized the union. Nonsubmissiveness, inadequate love and affection, and lack of trust were identified as the main reasons for divorce. Participants expressed mixed feelings about early expectations from marriage and a sense of regret and stigmatization after the dissolution of the marriage. Postmarital counseling should be encouraged to help address possible problems that are likely to arise and destabilize couples during the course of the marriage.
KW - Ghana
KW - divorce
KW - divorcee
KW - married couples
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893026950&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10502556.2013.837715
DO - 10.1080/10502556.2013.837715
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84893026950
SN - 1050-2556
VL - 55
SP - 16
EP - 32
JO - Journal of Divorce and Remarriage
JF - Journal of Divorce and Remarriage
IS - 1
ER -