Journals / Alpha psychiatry (Online) / 2021 / Cilt: 22 - Sayı: 1
Attachment, Psychological Wellbeing, andEducational Development among Child Members ofTransnational Families
- Journal
- Alpha psychiatry (Online)
- Pages
- 49–55
- DOI
- —
Abstract
Objective: The current research investigated attachment styles, psychological wellbeing, and academic development among children in transnational family arrangements in Zim-babwe. Methods: Purposive sampling was employed to select 57 children in transnational family arrangements and 41 children in conventional two-parent households aged between 8 and 14 years. Attachment Style Classification Questionnaire for latency-age children, Stir-ling Children’s Well-being Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and Question-naire for Evaluation of Development and Behavior were applied. Results: The results revealed that there were no significant differences in attachment styles, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and academic development between the trans-national and conventional family groups. Social desirability and prosocial behavior were significantly lower in the transnational group. Children with both parents as migrants had significantly lower scores for psychological wellbeing and higher scores for emotional symptoms and literacy problems than children with one migrant parent or conventional families. Conclusion: There was no difference in attachment styles and academic development, which may be a reflection of the strength of the extended family in substituting parental care. However, children in transnational family arrangements scored poorly on the proso-cial subscale of psychological wellbeing, which is associated with family cohesion. Paren-tal migration negatively impacts family cohesion, especially when both parents migrate. When both parents migrate, the children exhibited emotional symptoms, literacy prob-lems, poor prosocial behaviors, and poor psychological wellbeing because children re-ceive reduced social support. This study reveals that a child’s age at the parent’s departure, family cohesion, and economic security are integral to ensuring the wellbeing of children in transnational family arrangements.