International migration of partner, autonomy and depressive symptoms among women from a mexican rural area.

BACKGROUND: The emigration of Mexicans to the USA has increased in the last decades, and little is known about the effect of this on the mental health of those who stay behind. AIMS: To evaluate the association of emigration of husband and depressive symptoms (DS) among women who stay in Mexico. We also tested the hypothesis that the husband's migration would increase the woman's autonomy, which in turn would decrease DS. METHODS: A survey was conducted in a rural area in Mexico. Participants (n = 418) were selected through probabilistic sampling in three stages: localities, households and individuals. DS were evaluated using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. RESULTS: Having a partner in the USA was associated with higher odds of scoring above the cut-off point in CES-D (OR 3.77, 95% CI 1.92-7.43). Economic autonomy was also associated with DS (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.04-2.02). CONCLUSION: Migration of husband was associated with DS among women. The construct of autonomy and its operational definition should be further explored.