PICKING UP THE PIECES: A COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR ANGER, GRIEF, AND SELF-ESTEEM IN DIVORCED MEN WITH HISTORIES OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE

Abstract

Introduction
Being separated or divorced is one of the most psychologically destabilizing life events for adult men, often followed by clinically significant anger, grief, and identity disruption — particularly when the marriage involved interpersonal violence (IPV) or chronic conflict. Although men are increasingly recognized as being at risk of post-divorce distress, men-specific therapeutic interventions remain insufficiently evaluated.

Objectives
This study investigated the effectiveness of a structured, 6-phase Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention in reducing anger, grief, and low self-esteem among divorced men with a history of interpersonal violence.

Methods
A quasi-experimental, single-group pretest–posttest case series design was employed. Five adult men (aged 26–41 years) were recruited through purposive sampling from a clinical practice. Pre- and post-assessments utilized standardized instruments: the DSM-5 Level 2 Anger Scale (Adult), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Brief Grief Questionnaire (BGQ).

Results
All three outcome domains demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvements. Mean anger scores declined by 53.9% (17.80 to 8.20). Self-esteem scores rose by 86.3% (14.60 to 27.20), moving participants from the low to the normative range. Grief scores decreased by 59.5% (7.40 to 3.00), falling below the clinical concern threshold. Paired-samples analyses confirmed these gains (anger: t(4) = −9.80, p < .01; self-esteem: t(4) = 16.84, p < .001; grief: t(4) = −6.49, p < .01).

Conclusion
Findings provide early evidence that structured, gender-responsive CBT can effectively reduce psychological distress among men exposed to interpersonal violence in the context of divorce, underscoring the need for controlled replication