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eLetters: Electronic letters published:
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Other factors in parents of migrants in overcoming depression
- Matheesha Gunathilake (8 July 2009)
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Rural-urban migration: Who are the losers?
- Preeti Parakh (18 August 2009)
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Migration: accepted when expected
- Keertish N, Ashish Nair (10 November 2009)
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Matheesha Gunathilake, ST4
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matheeshag{at}hotmail.com Matheesha Gunathilake
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Dear Editor, I read this paper by Melanie Abas et al, with much interest. I feel other factors which were not considered in the discussion maybe at play. Parents become much more independent, and take more responsibility for their own situation when their children leave home. This may have a countering effect to the psychological mechanisms of depression, which has been linked to 'learned helplessness' (Seligman, 1975). Those parents have no option but to take control of their immediate surrounds and self care perhaps including seeking treatment for depression. It was noted that when children leave other people in the community support the family more- possibly increasing the contact the family will have with the outside world. Increase in remitted wealth would also mean that the parents become more mobile, less hard pressed to continue working at all costs, hence having more time for leisure, and being able to visit friends and family more. They may be able to afford costlier SSRI antidepressants compared to cheaper Tricyclics. Increase in wealth in poorer countries have been linked to higher increases happiness (Wolfers et al, 2008); after a certain level of income however the impact of income on happiness begins to fade and will be less visible in high income countries. | |||
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Preeti Parakh, Junior Resident in Psychiatry IMS, BHU, Varanasi, India
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drpreeti9{at}yahoo.co.in Preeti Parakh
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Dear Editor, In many developing countries, migrants from rural areas, who are usually males, belong to a joint family set-up and leave behind their wives who stay with the family of their husbands. In such families, the remittances sent by the migrants go to the head of the family, who usually is the father of the migrant. The migrant's wife has no say over the expenditure of the money sent by her husband and goes by the decision of the head of the family. The prolonged absence of their husbands results in poor social support for these women and poor control over finances cements their traditional submissive role. Thus it is this segment of population which is likely to experience the negative consequences of migration, and not the parents who have control over the remittances and enjoy the economic benefits of migration. On the other hand, in societies where the wife has some control over the remittances sent by her husband, the economic benefits of migration have outweighed the adverse consequences of migration (Zachariah & Rajan, 2001). Thanks, Preeti Parakh References: Zachariah KC, Rajan SI. Gender dimensions of migration in Kerala: Macro and micro evidence. Asia-Pacific Popul J 2001;16: 47-70 |
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Keertish N, Resident of Psychiatry Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, Ashish Nair
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Keerthish_shetty{at}rediffmail.com Keertish N, et al.
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Dear editor, This article is of great relevance especially in developing countries. Most of the people live in closely knit families which ensures that emotional demands are met even in absence of the earning member. Thus, financial demands take the top priority. Some families also take great pride in sending their wards to work in defence forces. Migration also gives other options to those family members who are unwilling to carry out family professions. Therefore, it would have been interesting if the study had considered these factors also, because migration is more likely to be accepted when it is expected. |
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