Peer-reviewed article
The psychological impact of parental work migration on left-behind children in Romania: a literature review.
Constantinescu N, Sandnes R, Bacro F ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This literature review examines how parental work migration affects the psychological well-being of children left behind in Romania. The review found that approximately 58,000 Romanian children have parents working abroad, experiencing prolonged separation from primary caregivers. The study identified both positive and negative psychological effects on children's mental health and parent-child relationships, analyzed through attachment theory. The authors call for more research into long-term consequences and policies to reduce migration or support affected children.
Key points
- Nearly 58,000 Romanian children have parents working abroad
- Parental labour migration creates prolonged separation from primary attachment figures
- The phenomenon has both positive and negative effects on children's development
- Fourteen studies were included in the review covering publications from 2007-2024
- Findings are analyzed through the lens of attachment theory
Limitations
This is a literature review rather than primary research, so it synthesizes existing studies rather than collecting new data. The review does not provide specific details about the magnitude of psychological impacts or comparative evidence of which interventions are most effective.
Abstract
Parental labour migration is a widespread phenomenon in developing countries across Central and Eastern Europe and may impact the emotional security of Left-Behind Children (LBC) due to prolonged separation from primary attachment figures. In Romania, official data estimate that nearly 58,000 children have parents working abroad. Parental migration has both positive and negative effects on children's development. This review examines the scope of the phenomenon and its psychological impact on Romanian children. A literature search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, SAGE, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2007 and 2024. Fourteen studies were included, highlighting psychological effects of parental migration on children's mental health and parent-child relationships. The findings are discussed through the lens of attachment theory. Further research is needed to understand the long-term consequences of such separations. The findings are relevant not only to researchers but also to institutions seeking to develop policies aimed at reducing parental labour migration or mitigating its negative impact on LBC.