Return, Social Identity, and Perceived Stress Among Highly Skilled Women

Abstract This article examines identification with the society of origin as a key psychosocial process shaping perceived stress among highly skilled women after return migration. Previous research on return has mainly focused on labour market reintegration, paying less attention to how psychosocial experiences and identity processes shape post-return adjustment, particularly among women. The study is based on a sample of 264 Spanish women who returned after a period of international migration. The questionnaire included sociodemographic variables, indicators of the migration and return experience, and the PSS-14 perceived stress scale. The results show that although labour conditions were generally better during migration, return is associated with greater employment instability and lower satisfaction with professional prospects. Labour conditions, expectations, and perceived social rejection after return, together with psychological well-being during migration, are associated with identification with the society of origin. Social identification has a direct effect on perceived stress and, in addition, partially or fully mediates the influence of these variables on stress. These findings highlight the central role of social identity as a psychosocial mechanism in return adjustment and point to the need for return policies that take into account psychosocial and relational dimensions, beyond social and labour market reintegration.