Spousal absence and well‐being: Evidence from China's internal migration

Abstract

This study analyses the linkage between spousal absence and the well‐being and health of married individuals who are “left‐behind” by a spouse who has migrated away from home for work purposes. As the influence of spousal absence on individual well‐being is underinvestigated, this study contributes to the existing literature by examining the effects for men and women in both rural and urban areas and further explores which group of population may be the most disadvantaged. The analysis is based on data from a nationally representative household‐based survey in China. The sample includes 26,355 married individuals, and 1,066 individuals are the left‐behind spouses. The empirical results show that spousal absence is significantly and negatively associated with well‐being of the left‐behind married men and women. An investigation into the interaction effects reveals that the negative influence of spousal absence is particularly problematic for individuals who have not received education.

Together, but Alone: A Thematic Analysis of the Athletes’ and Their Partners’ Experience of Physical Separation in Romantic Relationships

“…These personal meanings are a support in times of increased longing and make it easier for partners to maintain a positive attitude toward an LDR (Arditti & Kauffman, 2004). Finally, a recent study demonstrated that the absence of a spouse was negatively associated with the well-being and mental health of left-behind married men and women (Guo et al, 2022).…”