Business trips make partners ill

LONDON, England -- Frequent business trips could lead to psychological problems for the partner who is left to cope with the household alone, scientists said.

A study found that spouses of people who were often away on work-related travels had three times the level of stress-related illnesses as partners of workers who do not travel.

"The stresses of frequent travel for many employees may spill over to affect the psychological and physical health of their spouses," Dr Lennart Dimberg of the occupational health services at the World Bank in Washington told Reuters on Thursday.

Medical insurance records examined in the study showed that spouses of World Bank employees who were often on business trips filed 16 percent more insurance claims for psychological disorders than partners of workers who travelled less.

Claims from spouses of employeess who travelled overseas four or more times a year were three times higher compared to workers who stayed at home.

Range of illnesses

The study, released in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that women are more affected by the absence of a partner as the number of claims by women doubled those of men.

The scientist team found that disruption of family routines and roles, a sense of isolation and lack of involvement of the absent spouse were responsible for the psychological problems as well as skin and digestive disorders.

They suggested that frequent short-term absences could be more harmful than prolonged separations because of the disruption to family life.

"This finding underscores the permeable boundary between family relations and working life which earlier studies have suggested, and it emphasises the need for concern within institutions and strategies for prevention," Dimberg said.

According to the study, two-thirds of the 8,500 staff at the World Bank travel at least once a year for business and a third are away from home at least four times a year, Reuters reported.