Stress Determinants among Wives of Overseas Contract Workers Residing in Marikina City

Abstract

Better employment opportunities abroad led to the increase in the number of Overseas Contract Workers in the Philippines. As a result, the number of households single-handedly managed by wives of male Overseas Contract Workers also increased and their assumption of dual roles as both mother and father is a potential source of stress. In line with this, the researcher conducted a study to identify the major stress determinants among wives of Overseas contract Workers. A qualitative research method was used for the study. A total of thirty mothers aged 25 to 60 years old; married to Overseas Contract Workers living in Marikina City were purposively chosen and asked to participate in an in-depth interview. The interview covered four domains namely household chores, duration of OCW husband’s absence, amount of OCW husband’s income and parental authority. Out of the 30 respondents who participated in the study, 36.67% said that assuming parental authority during the husband’s absence is the major determinant of stress among wives of Overseas Contract Workers. Rearing children without the assistance of their husbands lead not only to physical stress but to emotional and mental stress as well. The duration of OCW husband’s contract ranked second with 30%, while the amount of OCW husband’s income and multiple household chores hold less significant impact among the respondents with 20% and 13.33% respectively.