Problem:
In Jamaica, overseas employment has become a common household strategy in response to limited local economic opportunities. Caribbean emigration has increased substantially over the past three decades, rising from approximately 2.5 million emigrants in 1990 to more than 6.1 million by 2020 (World Bank, 2023). As migration has become normalized, many couples adapt to transnational marital arrangements in which one spouse resides abroad for extended periods. Research within Caribbean contexts indicates that prolonged spousal separation is associated with increased emotional burden, diminished marital satisfaction, and heightened loneliness among left-behind spouses (Nwankwo & Govia, 2022). Similar findings have been reported in broader international literature (Basnet et al., 2025; Adhikari, 2025).
Given that nearly half of Jamaican households receive remittances, the number of couples potentially affected by transnational separation is substantial. While migration may strengthen household income stability, sustained relational distance may have cumulative psychological effects. Chronic distress among left-behind spouses may influence overall well-being, relationship functioning, and family dynamics. Despite the economic benefits of migration, the relational and psychological consequences warrant closer examination.
Existing research on Caribbean migration has primarily focused on remittance flows, economic development, and labor mobility. Although some studies have begun to examine mental health and marital satisfaction outcomes, this body of work remains limited within the Jamaican context. Much of the available research is cross-sectional and emphasizes outcomes rather than the processes through which individuals interpret and adjust to separation. In particular, relatively little attention has been given to how left-behind spouses make meaning of migration-related separation or how perceptions of obligation, agency, and constraint shape psychological adjustment. Provide very brief details suggesting: (1) the societal impact of migration-related long-distance marriages. (2). Caribbean/Jamaican psychological prevalence. Provide recent peer-reviewed citations and references between 2021-2025. Need Assignment Help?