ASSESSMENT OF PERCEIVED PSYCHO-SOCIAL HEALTH IN EMIGRANTS’ WIVES: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Abstract

This study is an attempt to identify and develop a scale that would assess Perceived Psycho-social issues in the wives of emigrants. For this purpose, 20 wives of emigrants were interviewed to extract a list of items related to their psycho-social health issues in the absence of husbands. A list of (23 items) was administered to 150 emigrants’ wives. Principal Component Factor Analysis revealed three factors named Somatic, Low Mood and Social Isolation. The scale revealed adequate psychometric properties and suggested that wives living without husbands are prone to these three psycho-social health problems in our culture. The use of Perceived Psychosocial Health in the wives of emigrants (PPHWE) to identify and assess mental health of left- behind wives due to emigration of husband is proposed