The effects of long-term husband absence on wives' stress: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Abstract

The effects of long-term husband absence on wives' stress reaction and child-care anxiety were examined in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Women whose husband was transferred together with his family (taido-funin, N=180) and those without his (tanshin-funin, N=229) completed a questionnaire of their own stress reaction and child-care anxiety. Five years later, they were again asked to complete the same questionnaire. Of those who participated in the second survey, husbands of 25 wives were still away as tanshin-funin, those of 51 returned and rejoined his family, and 37 families remained as taido-funin. Results of ANOVAs were as follows: Women whose husband continued tanshin-funin reported more stress reaction than those whose husband returned. Expectation of long-term absence was more harmful than that of brief absence. Expectation of long-term absence was more harmful than actual long-term absence. Expectation as well as actual experience of long-term absence had worse effects on wives who had older children, e.g., of college age, than those with younger ones. Finally, no effect of prolonged husband absence was found on child-care anxiety.