G-Couns: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling
Vol. 10 No. 04 (2026): October 2026, G-Couns: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling

Life Satisfaction of Voluntarily Childfree Individuals in Indonesia

Gitta Azalia Budiyati (Universitas Paramadina)
Sofia Tri Putri (Universitas Paramadina)



Article Info

Publish Date
07 Jul 2026

Abstract

Most of the childfree research remains focused on Western contexts, so studies in collectivist and pronatalist societies, such as Indonesia, remain limited. This study aims to explore the experiences and life satisfaction of childfree individuals in Indonesia. This study seeks to expand the literature by examining how childfree individuals interpret life satisfaction amid social norms that emphasize the importance of having children. This study uses a phenomenological qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews with five participants and employing thematic analysis to uncover the life experiences of childfree individuals in Indonesia. The findings suggest that the decision not to have children affects participants' life satisfaction, and that the presence of children negatively affects their lives. The domains of life satisfaction identified in this study were relationships with partners, finances, and leisure time. Freedom in careers, hobbies, and activities contributes to participants' life satisfaction. These findings provide an alternative perspective on pronatal assumptions that link the existence of children to family happiness and offer implications for counseling practices when accompanying childfree individuals living in societies with strong pronatal values. Keywords: childfree, good health and well-being, life satisfaction, phenomenology

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

bk

Publisher

Subject

Education Physics Other

Description

Diterbitkan sebagai media publikasi hasil penelitian dan karya ilmiah dalam bidang ilmu Bimbingan dan Konseling sebagai upaya meningkatkan dan mengimplementasikan teori serta praktik layanan Bimbingan dan Konseling. G-COUNS: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling merupakan rujukan media publikasi ini untuk ...