Effects of Parental Migration on Left-Behind Children’s Emotional Development in Imo State

This study examines the effects of parental migration on the emotional development of children left behind in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Labour migration from the South East to Lagos, Abuja, and international destinations has created a significant cohort of left-behind children in Imo communities, raised primarily by grandparents, extended family members, or older siblings. This research employed a cross-sectional comparative design involving 320 children aged 8 to 14 years, equally divided between those with one or both parents living away due to work migration and those with resident parents in Owerri and Orlu local government areas. Emotional development was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and a locally adapted Emotional Adjustment Inventory. Focus group discussions with left-behind children provided qualitative context. Results indicate that left-behind children reported significantly higher emotional symptoms, including loneliness, anxiety, and sadness, compared to their peers with resident parents. Children who maintained regular digital contact with migrant parents via video calls showed lower emotional symptom scores compared to those with infrequent contact. Caregiver stability within substitute care arrangements was the strongest environmental predictor of emotional adjustment. The study recommends that community welfare programmes in Imo State provide targeted psychosocial support to left-behind children and that migration health policies encourage regular communication between migrant parents and their children. Keywords: parental migration, left-behind children, emotional development, Imo State, substitute caregiving.