‘Emotional Loneliness’ Among Parents With Children Abroad

 ‘Emotional Loneliness’ Among Parents With Children Abroad

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has reported that emotional loneliness is beginning to be seen among senior citizens with children abroad. A survey conducted by the metropolis has found emotional loneliness among senior citizens with children.

This situation has been shown by a study conducted by Prahlad Adhikari on the topic of ‘The Responsibility of the Metropolitan City for the Mental Health of Senior Citizens’ in the third edition of the Metropolitan Research Fellowship (MRF). Binita Adhikari was the supervisor of the study.

According to the study, 21.7 percent of people have been found to have severe and very severe emotional loneliness. The Metropolitan City survey found that 62.3 percent had moderate loneliness. Similarly, 15 percent did not experience any kind of emotional loneliness.

Similarly, from the perspective of social loneliness, 48 ​​percent had high loneliness, 28.3 percent had moderate loneliness, and 23.7 percent had zero loneliness. Parents in Nepal feel inferior in aspects such as care, life management, access to facilities, socialization, physical activity, and access to accurate information. This is why the study shows that they are lonely and depressed.

The mental health (loneliness and depression) of senior citizens whose children have gone abroad The study was conducted to find out the level and to suggest ways to improve the situation to the Metropolitan Municipality. The survey included 509 senior citizens living within the Metropolitan Municipality, who were over 58 years of age and included all wards.

Of the participants, 61 did not want to answer all the questions asked. Therefore, the answers they gave were not included in the statistical analysis. Of these, 135 were included under pseudonyms. 52 were interviewed.

The Metropolitan Municipality stated that the answers of 448 senior citizens, including 204 women and 244 men, were analyzed by 18 subject experts.

Of the participants in the survey, 44.09 percent had one child abroad. 35.3 percent had 2 children, 9.6 percent had 3 children, and 1.1 percent had 4 or more children abroad. Most of the children were in developed countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, Dubai, and Japan.

34.6 percent of the children talk to them daily. 30.8 percent talk to each other twice or thrice a week, 19.6 percent talk to each other once a week, and 3.8 percent talk to each other once a month. 1.6 percent do not talk at all.

According to the survey, more than half (51.6 percent) have visited foreign countries. 52.7 percent do not believe that their children will return home. 94 percent do not have a support person to support them. 39.3 percent are visited by neighbors weekly.

Of the survey participants, 25.5 percent said they were strong and 7.9 percent said they were weak. 6 percent felt that there was a suspicious person near them. 6.5 percent said that they were being watched by an unknown and suspicious person. 20.5 percent said that they needed someone close to take care of them because they were sick.