Influence of Empty Nest Syndrome on the Quality of Life of Middle Aged Parents

Abstract

Empty Nest Syndrome is the term used to describe the spectrum of emotions and feelings that parents go through when their child moves out of the house for a variety of reasons such as marriage, further education or employment prospects. The concept of quality of life encompasses all the aspects of one’s life including domains such as social, psychological, physical, spiritual, and environmental. The objective of the Study was to evaluate the relationship between Empty nest syndrome and quality of life of middle aged adults, for which Empty nest syndrome scale- Indian form (ENS-IF) and The WHOQOL-BREF were used.  A total sample of 120 respondents was taken, including 59 fathers and 61 mothers aged between 40-65 years whose children have moved out of home. Purposive sampling technique was employed  because the study is focused on empty nesters. The findings suggest that there is a negative correlation between Empty nest syndrome and quality of life of middle aged adults, which signifies that an increase in empty nest syndrome leads to decrease in quality of life. There was gender difference in empty nest syndrome and quality of life, but the difference was not significant statistically.