Relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms severity among secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County, Kenya
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Date
2024-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Conflicts are inevitable occurrences in human families from time immemorial. Disagreements and arguments between parents can be either constructive or destructive depending on the outcome on children’s psychological and social development. Constructive interparental conflicts are beneficial to children as they learn effective communication and problem-solving skills. However, frequent destructive interparental conflicts places children and adolescents at an increased likelihood of developing psychological and social adjustment challenges including aggression and depressive symptomatology. Studies in Kenya have pointed to an increase in interparental conflicts, however, there is a scarcity of literature on the relationship between interparental conflicts and depressive symptoms severity among adolescents. The objective of the current study was to determine the relationship between interparental conflicts and the severity of depressive symptoms in secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County. Emotional Security Theory guided this study. Correlational research design was employed. The targeted population were secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County. Stratified sampling technique was employed to group the students as per their gender and school type. Purposive sampling was utilized to get a sample size of 400 students. Data was collected using standardized instruments. The Children’s Perception on Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC) was used to assess the type, frequency and cognitive appraisal of interparental conflicts while adolescent depressive symptoms severity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9: teens). Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was utilized to code and analyze data. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, mean and standard deviation were generated through quantitative data analysis. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to identify correlations between interparental conflicts and the severity of depressive symptoms in secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County. The findings indicated that there exists both constructive and destructive interparental conflicts in the families of adolescents in secondary schools in Kiambu County. On the frequency of interparental conflicts, 47.3% agreed that they often see or hear parents arguing, 41% regarded the claim as false whilst 11.6% gave a sort of true response. On the cognitive appraisal of interparental conflicts, 67.3% perceived a threat from the conflicts. Further findings on the severity of depressive symptoms manifested by the adolescents revealed that 38.6% of students had mild depression, 20% had moderate depression, 13.3% had moderately severe depression while 3.9% had severe depression. Study findings further indicated that destructive interparental conflict had a positive and significant effect (r=0.251, p=.000<.05) on depressive symptoms severity among secondary school adolescents in Kiambu County. The results also indicated that constructive interparental conflict had a negative but insignificant effect (r= -0.192, p=.000<.05) on depressive symptoms severity among secondary school adolescents. The study recommends the need for the Ministry of Education to hire counselors and psychologists to provide mental health services in secondary schools. This may assist students in managing depressive symptoms. The study further recommends the school management to introduce programs aimed at bringing parents and students together to discuss family issues affecting students’ mental health. The third recommendation is for parents to adopt healthy conflict resolution mechanisms.
Description
A research project submitted to the school of law, arts and social sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Arts in counselling psychology of Kenyatta University, May 2024
Supervisor: Eunice Njeri Mvungu