THE CONFLICTS OF MARRIED INDIVIDUALS LIVING AWAY FROM THEIR PARTNERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Living away from one's spouse due to certain reasons is now a growing trend, particularly in urban cultures. The study aimed to understand the psychological and relational conflicts that people experience in marriage due to living apart from each other. The study is a qualitative thematic analysis conducted on 134 individuals who provided open-ended responses. The results indicate overriding themes, and they are psychological distress, lack of communication, role overload, marital conflict, effects on mental health, and social and cultural pressures. The findings further highlight that living away from spouses is a stressor of emotional well-being, marital functioning, and mental health.  The multidimensional and sociocultural norms enhance the stressors, especially among women. The study acknowledges the importance of approaching mental health interventions in a culturally sensitive manner and recognizes the potential of the psychosocial assessment tool to evolve based on empirical evidence, highlighting the need to develop indigenous mental health assessment tools.