Loneliness among parents whose adult children have migrated abroad is associated with higher psychological distress, difficulties in regulating emotions and problematic series watching, an exploratory study by researchers from NIMHANS has found.
Mothers reported greater loneliness
Women in the study reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and psychological distress than men. The study highlights the emotional challenges that parents may experience when their children settle abroad and everyday family interactions become less frequent. Most belonged to middle socioeconomic backgrounds and nuclear families, and more than half had been in the empty-nest phase for over five years. Dr. Sharma, who is one of the authors, cautioned that the study did not establish that loneliness causes psychological distress or excessive series watching.
The findings assume relevance on World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, which draws attention to mental health and the need to address psychological well-being. Published in BMC Research Notes , the study examined 64 ‘empty-nest’ parents aged between 45 and 65, whose adult children had emigrated and lived away from home for at least two years. The sample comprised 30 fathers and 34 mothers from different families in Karnataka, Haryana and Punjab.
Rajesh Kumar, associate professor in the department of clinical psychology at NIMHANS and the corresponding author of the study, said the findings highlighted the relationship between loneliness and emotional well-being among parents adjusting to life without their children at home. As it was cross-sectional, it could identify associations but not determine the direction of the relationships, he said. The researchers said that this was consistent with earlier research suggesting that mothers may experience greater emotional difficulties during the empty-nest phase, potentially reflecting their involvement in caregiving and emotional relationships with their children. The researchers said digital media and streaming services could provide an easily accessible form of solitary leisure for parents experiencing less day-to-day interaction with their children.
