REMITTANCES, FAMILY SEPARATION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG LEFT BEHIND HOUSEHOLDS IN PAKISTAN: VALIDATING A MEASUREMENT MODEL OF DUAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the top economies in the world in terms of labour emigration and receiving remittance, where currently more than 832,000 persons are registered to emigrate in 2022 while remittance inflows reached USD 31.3 billion during fiscal year 2021–2022 (State Bank of Pakistan, 2022; BEOE, 2022). Yet, at the same time, this migration system is huge, highly economic, and the psychological impact on the households that are left behind is gravely under researched. The literature in the field has identified a paradox; that is, while remittances help to enhance evaluative wellbeing and material security, family separation also increases levels of stress, depression, and psychological distress (Ivlevs et al., 2019; Lu, 2012; Ambugo & Yahirun, 2016). In the Pakistani context, these two pathways have not been taken into consideration and whether they can be measured in a valid psychometric model is also an area to explore. Based on the aforementioned arguments, this study employs a cross sectional quantitative design (N = 400) and posits a dual pathway Structural Equation Model (SEM) with remittance receipt volume and regularity as the predictors of evaluative wellbeing, perceived family separation as a predictor of depressive symptoms and perceived stress, and social support as moderating variable. Validated using existing scales PHQ 9 (depression), PSS 10 (perceived stress), and Cantril Self Anchoring Striving Scale (wellbeing) adopted for Pakistani sociocultural context, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The study uses BEOE migration outflow data for 2019 2022 along with the statistics of State Bank of Pakistan on remittance. BEOE migration outflow data for 2019 2022 and remittance figures provided by State Bank of Pakistan as secondary contextual anchors are used. The study fills the gap in the literature with a dual pathway measurement model for the high emigration developing economies, introduces psychometric approaches to measuring migration related mental health in non-Western Islamic family contexts, and provides policy relevant evidence to the Pakistan's migration governance framework.