Effect of Husbands’ Migration on Gender Role Ideology and Mental Health of Rural Mexican Women

Jared A. Wilkerson, College of William and Mary

Abstract

Our purpose for this study was to investigate the roles of migration in rural Mexican migrant–sending communities. Specifically, we examined the effects of changing gender role ideology on the mental health of wives whose spouses migrated to the United States. The sending group scored significantly higher in egalitarian gender role ideology but lower in general mental health than the nonsending group. We found through mediation analysis that the difference in gender role ideology mediated the difference in mental health between the two groups. Results are contrary to some psychological and feminist literature advocating benefits of masculine or androgynous ideology.