publications

Emigration by skilled and semi-skilled workers from India to the Middle East is a strategy for better economic returns. Families rarely accompany migrants. Drawing insights from primary data gathered from intensive fieldwork in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, this article attempts to understand the psychological consequences on the wives left behind. A mixed sampling method was used to derive the sample size. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s chi-square tests were mainly used for quantitative analysis supplemented by qualitative methods. The results indicated that wives considered loneliness the most significant psychological problem arising from their husbands’ absence. Stress was also caused by financial problems and the necessity of taking on additional roles in the family.