Spousal separation and its impact on women's mental health: a study of Japanese corporate transfers

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Abstract
Marital separation in Japan usually occurs as a result of husbands' occupational transfers. There is an increasing number of married men who are transferred by their employers and who do not take their families, primarily in order to maintain educational continuity for the children. An exploratory field study was conducted in which the question was posed: How do women experience their lives while their husbands are transferred elsewhere in Japan? The grounded theory approach was used to answer the question, with a sample of 28 informants. The analysis of interview data revealed a core variable of 'maintaining harmony during separation' which described the meaning of the informants' life experience. The grounded theory was comprised of five major categories that described coping behaviours of wives while their husbands were transferred within the country and abroad on a long-term basis. Implications for mental health and family nursing are discussed, as well as the implications of the findings for social policy makers.

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