Lived Experiences of Separated Women in Tamil Nadu, India: Psychological Well-being

This qualitative study explored lived experiences of separated women in Tamil Nadu, India. Survey of the literature describes: divorced women experience high amount of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, sleep disorders, stress that adversely affecting their life , self, thinking and putting them in emotional and behavioral problems. The impact of divorce, in the context of India is severe because of social stigma and economic hardship, so this study aimed to know the factors that led to marital separation and psychological well-being of separated women after separation. Participants included in this study were nine (9) women with marital separation. The researcher conducted in-depth interview with the participants. The transcripts were content analyzed by a research team of two, reviewed by an auditor and arrived to consensus of the final themes. The final themes from exploration of women's lived experience revealed dysfunctional marital relationships led to marital separation and psychological well being seen in their resilience, positive relationships and emerging self. The implications for family psychology and future research directions are discussed for Tamil Nadu context in Indian.