The Description of Family Quality of Life in Parents with Empty-Nest Syndrome

Abstract

The goal of this study is to obtain the description of family quality of life in parents with empty-nest syndrome. Empty-nest syndrome is a common phenomenon which occurs when child is grown up and decides to be live separately with the parent. The phenomenon takes place when child is entering the early adulthood phase and faced with various experiences which commonly occurs as an adult. Generally, an adult has the opportunity to get higher education in college, or to focus on their jobs and career, or to choose marriage with their romantic partner. When these things happen, parents who get used on raising and nurturing their child for years have the possibility on being 'empty' after child's departure. This existing phenomenon calls to be studied to see the family quality of life with a couple of parents who experiences the empty-nest syndrome as the analysis unit. This study was studied using a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the subjective understanding of parents in dealing with this phenomenon. Participants in this study were three pairs of parents who are in the middle adult development phase and live separately from their children because the children are married/working/studying. The interview process lasted for one month (November-December 2020). Data were obtained through interviews as a form of screening for signs of empty-nest syndrome experienced by subjects, then continued with interviews related to dimensions of family quality of life. The results showed that the subject's empty-nest syndrome affects the dimensions of the quality of family life, especially emotional well-being, which is marked by the subject's feelings of sadness 1-3 months after the child's departure. Other dimensions such as family interaction, parenting, and physical/material well-being also change in each subject.