Citation

Hebert S, Popadiuk N. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2008; 49(1): 1-14.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American College Personnel Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Prior nonmarital breakup research has been focused on negative outcomes, rarely examining the personal growth aspects of this experience. In this study, we used a qualitative grounded theory methodology to explore the changes that university students reported experiencing as a result of a heterosexual nonmarital breakup and how those changes arose. From the participant accounts, we constructed a grounded theoretical model that conceptualizes and explains change and personal growth following nonmarital breakups. In this model, we assert that students may experience stress-related growth after a breakup and we provide a framework for explaining these changes. Implications for counseling are discussed.