Department of Psychology

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Domestic violence in Ghana: Exploring first-hand accounts of incarcerated male perpetrators based in Nsawam prison and views of government officials
(2020) Otoo, A.O.
Although male perpetration of violence against female partners is a global concern, there continues to be insufficient research attention on this phenomenon. The current study aimed at exploring experiences of male perpetrators of violence against their female partners in intimate relationships. The specific objectives were to get an understanding of the reasons and beliefs contributing towards perpetration of domestic violence, explore the barriers that perpetrators encounter with regard to receiving reformative support, and to suggest possible strategies that can be adopted to reduce or prevent domestic violence. Adopting a qualitative approach, data were obtained through in-depth interviews and participant observations involving 22 convicted male perpetrators in the Nsawam Prisons in the Eastern Region of Ghana, followed by interviews with stakeholders at the offices of the Domestic Violence & Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. Each transcript went through a thorough analysis to extract themes which were subsequently Synchronised. Overall, the findings from the present study elucidated some theoretical and practical implications. It reveals the following major themes: perception of inequality between sexes, bride price, childhood experience/witness of abuse, and victim blaming as contributory factors to the phenomenon of male violence against women.
Common Perinatal Mental Health Problems: Correlates, Birth Outcomes and Quality of Life among Women in Accra
(University of Ghana, 2017) Adomako, B.
Mental health problems are a key determinant of maternal and child mortality and morbidity, but are not currently recognized in existing initiatives to promote perinatal mental health, resulting in poor health outcomes for women, their children, families and the society as a whole. The main aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between perinatal mental health problems, birth outcomes and quality of life among women in Accra. A three phased iterative sequential mixed methods design was utilized for this research. The setting of this research was the Accra Metropolitan Area. Study One (1), was a phenomenological study with findings indicating, that pregnancy was considered a mix bag of joys and distress. Again, pregnancy was experienced on various levels; through the lens of mother, within family, and within the health system. Furthermore, there was low awareness of perinatal mental disorders. Finally, various coping mechanisms such as faith and engagement in productive activity were employed to deal with the perinatal mental health problems experienced. The results from Study One, fed into Study Two, which was a two-wave prospective panel study, consisting of one hundred and twenty-two (122) purposively sampled women, who were within the perinatal period. Standardized instruments were administered at two time points (during pregnancy and after birth). Results of Study Two indicated that; there was a negative significant relationship between depressive symptomatology and quality of life during pregnancy and after birth with Social Support moderating these relationships. Intimate partner relationship however did not have any moderating effect on those same relationships. Also, there were no lagged effects between CMD‘s during pregnancy and quality of life after birth. A third study (Study Three) was conducted as a follow up to Study Two, in order to explore the contextual factors that might underlie some of its findings. It emerged from this study that participants ‘conceptions of childbirth were shaped by their cultural context. In addition, explanatory models accounting for CMD symptomatology were based on multilevel experiences, with a sense of self efficacy and beliefs in spirituality being used as coping mechanisms. It also emerged from Study Three, that constructions of intimate partner relationship reflected the male hegemony in Ghanaian cultural settings. A further exploration into perinatal mental health care services in Accra showed an unmet need as well as the essence of a culturally competent perinatal mental health service within Accra. The implications of the findings for clinical practice and policy, as well as the limitations and recommendations from this research are addressed.
Mental Health Competence in two Urban Poor Communities in Accra, Ghana: A Social Psychology of Participation Approach
(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Agyei, F.
Poor communities in Africa are disproportionately affected by mental disorders globally. Current research proposes that improving mental health in poor communities requires building their mental health competence. There are however limited community mental health competency studies in African context, to inform diagnosis of social realities of mental health in such communities and guide intervention planning. Integrating the social psychology of participation and community mental health competency models into a conceptual framework, this thesis conducted a critical social psychological analysis of the social realities of mental health probkems in Jamestown and Usshertown - two urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. The conceptual framework explored three social psychological features of community mental health competency; i) symbolic competency – social representations which provides insight into lay mental health knowledge in the communities, ii) material competency – access to concrete material conditions such as money food, shelter and mental healthcare which structure mental illness experience in community context, and iii) relational competency – access to bonding, bridging and linking social capital which provides material and symbolic resources for addressing mental health problems. Mixed-method data were gathered, combining survey, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and situated conversations. Data was gathered from 384 survey respondents and 77 qualitative participants. The qualitative data was analysed using theoretically-driven thematic analysis. The survey data was analysed using chi square, multiple regression and structural equation modelling. Three key insights emerged, in line with the conceptual framework. First, the communities exhibited relatively high symbolic mental health competency, compared to their material and relational competencies. There was general awareness that the prevalent mental health disorders in the communities were depression, anxiety, ‘madness’, epilepsy, substance addiction, suicide, psychosocial stress, excessive anger, worry and frustration. There was also high awareness of the multilevel factors that expose them to these mental health disorders. Mental illness stigma and empathy co-existed simultaneously. Representations of the mental illness were cognitive-emotional, which informed legitimization and illegitimization of some mental health disorders depending on severity of conditions and identity of the sufferers. Second, the communities were extremely low on material mental health competency. Structural poverty and joblessness exposed healthy community members to recurring psychosocial struggles, and also undermined quality of care for individuals and families affected by mental health disorders. Finally, relational mental health competency of the communities was also low. While their bonding social capital was relatively high, there are limited existing bridging and linking social capital targeted at addressing mental health problems within the communities. Nevertheless, there are existing partnerships that offer opportunities for strategic alliances in transforming mental health within the communities. The implications of the insights in the development of participatory mental health interventions to build mental health competency in the research communities are discussed.
Organizational Integrity And Corruption Decision-Making in The Ghanaian Public Service
(University of Ghana, 2020-10) De Souza, M.N.M.
Global effort to fight corruption has become more intense because it is considered one of the most complex societal problems. Corruption in Ghana’s public service poses a significant risk to service delivery and national development. The upsurge and deeply rooted nature of corruption in the public service have been attributed to the breakdown of organizational integrity in these institutions. Corruption research in the public service is subsumed mainly under rationalistic assumptions and approached from the premise that corruption is a self-serving behavior of public service workers, therefore organizational integrity management is overly focused on enforcing formal norms. This study argued that the decision to engage in or refute corrupt activities is not solely premised on self-serving rationalistic behavior, but also guided by a multiplicity of complex informal organizational norms. Unfortunately, attention is rarely paid to the role of informal organizational norms in public servants’ corruption decision-making. Using qualitative vignettes, this study was designed to explore how public service workers (PSWs) experience and navigate context-specific formal and informal organizational norms in corruption decision making. Three focus group discussions with 22 public service Directors and semi-structured individual interviews with 26 public service Administrative and Technical staff were conducted. Additionally, 8 individual interviews with anti-corruption activists and retired public service workers were integrated with a document review of grey literature to corroborate findings. Formal and informal organizational norms that influenced organizational integrity and PSWs decision-making included rigid bureaucracy, opportunistic staffing, political praise-singing, apathy towards work, and reciprocal appreciation. Informal organizational norms equally influenced PSWs corruption-decision-making as did the formal norms. However, in the vignette scenarios where the perception of the severity of formal sanctions was under-rated, informal organizational norms displaced formal organizational norms, clouded the organizational interest, putting to the fore the interest of the individual and the corrupt partner. An additional noteworthy finding was that context-specific risk preferences were employed by PSWs as heuristics to navigate corruption in the public service. The findings imply that ensuring compliance with formal organizational norms and regulations is necessary but insufficient to effectively prevent corruption in the Ghanaian public service. To effectively manage organizational integrity to mitigate corruption, there is a need for administrative and structural changes, as well as organizational and social unlearning of dysfunctional formal and informal organizational norms.
Perceptions, Buffering Resources, and Self-Determination: An Investigation into the Psychological Health of Adolescents Living with Congenital Limb Deformity in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Wulff-Caesar, M.C.
The current study examined factors that influence the psychological health of adolescents with congenital limb deformity in Ghana. Adolescents with congenital limb deformity (AWCLD) experience a plethora of physical, psychological, and social effects of a disfiguring birth defect. Amputation, a procedure theorized to promote psychological health by increasing functional ability and minimizing disfigurement, further adds to the burden of congenital limb deformity. Body image and self-perception are usually very fragile in adolescence, which is the period between age 10 and 24, and negatively impact adolescent psychological health. Adolescents with a disfiguring disability may consequently experience more challenges affecting interpersonal relationships and participation in social activities during this transition from childhood. This study adopted a concurrent mixed-method approach to investigate predictors of psychological health outcomes of a sample of 50 adolescents, aged between 12 and 24, with congenital limb deformity in Ghana. The quantitative aspect of the study tested 5 hypotheses, and compared amputee and non-amputee participants across body image and symptoms of psychological distress. It also examined relationships between social support, coping strategies and psychological distress. The qualitative approach explored perceptions, lived experiences, and social activities of 15 AWCLD to corroborate and cross-validate the quantitative findings. Statistical analyses revealed that amputees and non-amputees had similar functional ability, similar body image, and self-esteem, as well as similar psychosocial experiences of CLD. However, there was a significant difference in their levels of distress, where non-amputees experienced more distress symptoms of depression, and interpersonal sensitivity than amputees. This finding was interpreted and attributed to the experience of stigma-related issues by non-amputee participants in the qualitative study. Social support from family, significant others and friends buffered AWCLD from the effects of CLD, and coping strategies varied among participants, with older adolescents engaging less in emotion-regulation coping. In Psychological Health of Adolescents with CLD general, findings support the theoretical framework of the study, namely, the Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions, the Buffering Effects of Social Support Theory, and the Self-Determination Theory, which underscored the buffering roles of positive emotions, social support, coping strategies, as well as self-determination, in significantly influencing psychological health outcomes, and suggests that the integration of Self-Determination Theory in disability studies may change the dominant negative narrative. Further inquiry into the role of sociocultural perceptions of deformity in fostering self-determination and self-development in the physically-disabled is recommended.
Experiences of Victims of Child Sexual Abuse, Their Caregivers, and the Adjudication Process in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Kwakye-Nuako, C.O.
The current study used an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how victims of sexual abuse and their caregivers experienced either the court or non-court processes of adjudication in Ghana. A psycho-socio-legal ecological framework was used to understand the multi-faceted layers by which the phenomenon of the abuse and the justice process were experienced. For both victims and caregivers in either the court or non-court processes, the research sought to answer questions on their experiences of the abuse, its disclosure, and how they coped. The experiences of key informants in their interactions with victims and caregivers were also explored. To answer these questions, a purposive sampling approach was used to select nine (9) victims and nine (9) caregivers who had been to court; as well as six (6) victims and two (2) caregivers who had not been to court. Thirty (30) professionals working in the criminal justice system and gender-related policy (key informants) were also interviewed. The findings were that victims experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress resulting from the abuse. They also coped in both active and non-active ways. However, the non-court victims used more deadly approaches such as suicide ideation and attempts compared to the court victims. For the victims who went to court, although they saw their interactions with professionals in the criminal justice system as uneventful, they were perceived by the professionals as sometimes being intimidated and traumatized. The caregivers were also found to be the bridge between the victims and the system. They experienced emotional trauma as a result of the abuse and challenges in their contact with professionals in the criminal justice system. The key informants also experienced emotional distress in their interactions with the victims and their caregivers. They were also of the view that the formal justice system would serve the victims better with some improvements. The implications for victims and caregivers are discussed to include the need to focus more attention on non-court victims as well as the need for changes in the court process.
Disaster and Posttraumatic Adaptation: Risk and Protective Factors
(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Dziwornu, E.
This research investigated the role of risk and protective factors in how disaster victims adapt to the impacts of the adversity. This adaptation was examined at two levels: posttraumatic distress (PTD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Four risk factors and five protective factors were examined. The concurrent nexted mixed methods approach with 336 sample from the population of 3rd June 2015 flood/fire disaster victims in Accra was used; 13 of which participated in both quantitative and qualitative studies. The quantitative study used standardised measures of PTG, PTSD, and general distress (using the global severity index of the symptoms checklist) as outcome variables, social support, religiosity, resilience, belief in just world, and self-efficacy (protective factors) as moderating variables, and neuroticism, assumptive world, previous traumatic history and independent self-construal (risk factors) as predictors. Five hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regression and Pearson correlations. The results indicate that risk factors namely neuroticism, and previous traumatic history significantly predict PTD (general psychological distress and PTSD). It was also found that protective factors namely social support, belief in just world, resilience, and religiosity significantly predict PTG. Again, it was found that protective factors significantly moderate the relationship between risk factors and psychological distress. Finally, the quantitative study also found that social support, self-efficacy, belief in just world, resilience and religiosity are negatively and significantly correlated with PTD (psychological distress and PTSD), and there is rather a significant positive correlation between PTG and PTD. The qualitative study used the phenomenological approach with thematic analysis to answered three research questions. It was found that victims perceive the causes of the disaster to include engineering failures and anti-environmental behaviours. Their experiences include loss and biographical disruption such as disfigurement, death and loss of property, and psychological impacts such as anxiety, and mood problems. Participants’ adjustment experiences involve societal and family level interventions, spiritual support and post disaster vulnerability. It was concluded that indeed disaster victims suffer distress with risk factors exacerbating it. However, victims also experience growth following the disaster and this is facilitated by protective factors. The implications of the findings regarding clinical practice, policy, disaster management, research and theory are discussed.
The Effectiveness of NTU Africentric System of Psychotherapy in the Management of Trauma among Refugees in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Oppong, K.D.
Ntu psychotherapy is an African centred system of psychotherapy specifically developed to deal with a wide variety of psychological and social problems. The present study sought to investigate how effective Ntu psychotherapy is in the management of trauma among refugees. The objective of the study was to investigate if Ntu psychotherapy could lead to an alleviation of signs and symptoms of psychotrauma. The study was also aimed at helping to establish a baseline or reference for which an African culturally competent intervention can be further developed or adopted. The study employed a mixed method approach. Qualitative data was collected and analysed to identify the major psychological challenges of refugees who are living in the refugee camps. Quantitatively the study employed a within-subject multiple baseline approach. Thus, each participant served as their own control. There was an initial baseline (pre test) established and then there were two other post-test measurements taken; one in the middle of the study and another at the end of the study. The results showed that participants who undertook Ntu psychotherapy reported a continuous steady improvement in trauma, thus confirming the effectiveness of Ntu psychotherapy. Participants who underwent Ntu Psychotherapy also reported a significant improvement in symptoms of trauma such as somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility and obsessive-compulsive behaviour. The study further revealed that Ntu psychotherapy brought about an increase of the individuals Africentrism (Awareness and consciousness of being African). The study further showed that Ntu psychotherapy can be applied as a suitable system of therapy for persons of African origin. The study recommends further evidence-based research into Ntu psychotherapy and its potential for use across a wider spectrum of psychological disorders among more diverse cultures. It also recommended that Ntu psychotherapy could be used to provide psychological services in Ghana because its philosophy and techniques are wellgrounded in African belief systems
Expereinces of Forgiveness, Psychological Health-Related Quality of Life and Immunological Markers: A Study among People Living With HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Osae-Larbi, J.A.
The role of forgiveness of perceived offenses in health has gained empirical attention for about three decades now in various areas including the area of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). This study aimed at investigating the relationship between forgiveness of offenses directly related to one’s HIV/AIDS-positive status and two health outcomes – psychological health-related quality of life (PHRQOL) and immune functioning, measured by change in cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells. Employing an explanatory mixed method design, cross-sectional survey data was first collected on a total of 325 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) across HIV outpatient clinics at the Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye, and Tamale Teaching Hospitals in Ghana. Participants completed validated forgiveness measures across three contexts – intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spiritual. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that forgiveness, particularly positive attitudes toward God and decisional forgiveness of self, uniquely predicted PHRQOL and change in CD4 cell count respectively in adjusted analyses. However, health behaviours did not moderate the forgiveness-health relationship in all contexts. To expound on the survey findings, a follow-up phenomenological study on the lived experiences of forgiveness of HIV-related offenses among 15 of the survey participants using a semi-structured interview schedule was conducted. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, six themes emerged indicating that forgiveness was experienced as internal and external actions confirmed by the experience of positive psychological changes within the offended. These changes held meaning for participants’ psychological health, their physical and socioeconomic wellbeing, as well as for adhering to ART, engaging in protective sexual behaviours, and living a new, focused, and purposeful life. Overall, the findings complementarily lend support to the Stress and Coping Model of Forgiveness, the Biopsychosocial Contexts of Framework of Forgiveness in HIV/AIDS, and the Afrocultural Social Ethos Framework. Namely, among PLWHA in Ghana, forgiveness as an adaptive coping strategy for perceived HIV-related offenses may hold benefits for psychological and immune health possibly through the stress response system and also positive health behaviours, and that among other factors, values for communalism and spirituality may facilitate forgiveness experiences via social support and religious beliefs and practices. These findings hold important implications for theory building, clinical practice, policy development, and for public health and health psychology practice. There is the need for health psychologists through collaborations with clinicians, public health professionals, and policy makers to develop and implement culturally-relevant forgiveness assessments and interventions suitable for use in clinical settings. These, together with existing ART-adherence counselling protocols, may support PLWHA to appropriately cope with any perceived offenses and emotional pain, and to feel motivated to engage in adherent and protective behaviours, both of which behaviours are necessary for curbing secondary transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Psychological Determinants of Farmers’ Intention to Adopt Improved Agricultural Innovations: A Study among Smallholder Farmers in the Gushegu District of Northern Ghana.
(University Of Ghana, 2018-07) Acquah-Coleman, R.
The extent and speed to which farmers adopt available innovations/technologies can significantly improve crop production and promote food security locally, nationally and globally. However, there is evidence that farmers do not easily adopt farming innovations. In an attempt to understand and predict farmers’ innovation adoption behaviour, recent studies have focused on farmers’ background and economic factors with little attention to psychological factors, particularly within the African context. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, this study contributes to this knowledge gap by examining the psychological factors that influence intention to adopt improved agricultural innovations especially row planting, improved seeds and fertilizer. Two Hundred and Eighty-Two (282) smallholder farmers from the Gushegu district participated in Study 1 and 2. Thematic analysis of data in Study 1 revealed that social motives motivate smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana than economic motives. Study one (1) also identified twenty salient beliefs that smallholder farmers have about improved agricultural innovations. These beliefs include increasing farm yield and producing attractive farm products. Study 2 used the beliefs identified in Study 1 to construct three new measures and used them in addition to other existing measures to determine the factors that influence adoption intention. The results of Study 2 showed that adoption referents, perception about social pressure (subjective norm) and evaluation of improved agricultural innovations (attitude) strongly influence farmers’ adoption intention. The results also showed that attitude mediated the effect of behavioural beliefs on adoption intention whereas subjective norm mediated the influence of normative beliefs on adoption intention. Similarly, control beliefs indirectly affect adoption intention through perceived behavioural control. Besides, the study found that gender, household size, risk attitude, psychological wellbeing and farm size have a significant effect on the salient beliefs about improved agricultural innovations, which in turn influence adoption intention. These findings show that adopting a psychological approach to agricultural innovation adoption programs would ensure farmer effectiveness, satisfaction, quality of work life and farmer commitment. Keywords: Improved Agricultural Technologies, Smallholder Farmers, Innovation Adoption, Adoption Intention, Adoption Behavior, Gushegu District, Northern Ghana, Africa
Entrepreneurial Cognitions: Assessing the Influence of Cognitive Styles and Psychosocial Factors on Entrepreneurial Decision Making
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Okyireh, M.A.A.
Entrepreneurial cognitions is gradually receiving attention in Ghana in recent times. The decisions people make concerning the development of entrepreneurial businesses are key in the performance of the business. The present study conducted a two-fold study using mixed methods, to examine the relationship between analytical and intuitive cognitive styles and entrepreneurial decision making approaches amongst community participants. Study one which was quantitative in nature administered questionnaires on the relationship between entrepreneurial cognitions and decision-making approaches to 272 participants located within the La Nkwantanang municipality, in Accra, Ghana. Study one reported that both cognitive styles significantly predicted entrepreneurial decision making approaches. Also demographic factors influenced the choice of entrepreneurial decision-making approaches. Psychosocial factors-perceived relational support, cultural orientations and psychological empowerment moderated the relationship between cognitive styles and at least one dimension of entrepreneurial decision-making approach. Study two was explorative in nature where participants’ experiences of entrepreneurial decision-making were explored. 12 participants with quasi-intuitive cognitive styles were purposively selected from the research pool of 272 and interviewed. The data generated from the transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three major themes: perceptions attached to entrepreneurial activities; perceptions of past entrepreneurial experiences on decisions towards future venture creation; and potential challenges in decision-making for entrepreneurial businesses were identified. Limitations of the study and their implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Emotional Labour and Psychological Health: A Study of Ghanaian Media Practitioners
(University of Ghana, 2017-07) Agyemang, C.B.
Studies on emotional labour have been increasingly influential as service employment continues to replace manufacturing ones in many developed and emerging economies. In a two component study (quantitative and qualitative) using convergent parallel (complementary concurrent) mixed method approach, the research aimed at explaining Ghanaian media practitioners' emotional labouring experiences and likely psychological health implications. The quantitative data (study one) was cross-sectionally obtained using questionnaires on emotional labour and psychological health from a purposive sample of 336 (205 males and 131 females). The quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation, Hayes process moderation analysis, and Standard Multiple Regression. Using purposive and snowball sampling strategy, 13 (9 males and 4 females) media practitioners were interviewed with a semi-structured interview protocol for the qualitative data (study two) as well as observation data from 4 media crew. All data set were gathered from media practitioners in Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Western Regions of Ghana. The first study revealed that surface acting significantly predicted general wellbeing and emotional exhaustion but not psychological distress. It was also found that media practitioners who engage in surface acting experience emotional exhaustion indirectly through psychological effort. Religiousity significantly moderated the relationship between surface acting and emotional exhaustion as well as psychological distress. Analysis of the qualitative study indicate that media practitioners explain emotional labour as ‘faking’- principally explained as ‘pretense’ or ‘living a lie’- and is manifested through the ‘suppression’ and/or ‘enhancement’ of ones' emotions. The study two further revealed depressive symptoms, stress, emotional dissonance, suicidal ideations, nightmares and associated insomnia, work- life balance challenges, turnover intentions, and superior-subordinate bullying, as key explorations of media practitioners’ psychological health states. Feedback from the public, fellow employees, friends and family emerged as predisposing factors of emotional labour University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh v experiences. Even though some media practitioners resort to poor coping strategies such as abuse of alcohol, smoking, and intemperance in social activities, majority recourse to personal, religious and social resources as effective coping strategies to deal with emotional labour demands. These findings underscore the need for media employers and regulatory bodies to have emotional labour management strategy and psychological support systems to stabilize and improve employee health.
Psychological Distress and Health-Seeking Behaviour among Patients with Orofacial Tumour: Examining the Roles of Spirituality, Health Belief and Stigmatization.
(University Of Ghana, 2017-07) Dai-Kosi, A.D.
The level of psychological distress and health-seeking behaviour (HSB) among patients with orofacial tumours (OFT) were assessed using explanatory sequential mixed methods designed in a two-component study. A sample of 272 comprising 143 patients with OFT and 129 patients with general periodontal diseases who served as a comparison group aged between 18 and 83 years were purposively selected from the Oral and Maxillofacial Units of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital, 37 Military hospital and the Ridge hospital in Accra. Study one was a cross-sectional quantitative study with data collected via self-administered structured questionnaires. Study two was a qualitative study using a sample of 20 patients drawn from the original sample used in study one, with data collected through in-depth interviews to further explore HSB among patients. The results of Study one using regression analyses indicated that the type of condition, patients‘ perceptions of body image and stigmatization significantly predicted psychological distress among patients. The result also showed that the level of psychological distress among patients with OFT was significantly higher than that of the patients with periodontal diseases. Additionally, spirituality and perception of stigmatization were found to be the most significant predictors of HSB. The results showed a significant positive relationship between perception of stigmatization and health-seeking behaviour. Mediation analyses were done with the process procedures for SPSS (2.12.3) by Hayes (2013) and the result indicated that spirituality mediated the effect of the condition and health-seeking behaviour. Results from moderation analyses also indicated that spirituality and stigmatization moderated the type of condition and levels of psychological distress among patients. The findings from study 2 revealed five themes including conceptualization of cause of the condition, physical trauma, self-stigmatization and spiritual coping. In sum, spirituality emerged as one of the key determinants of health-seeking behaviour and also a major coping tool for the patients. This study provides knowledge about the role of spirituality as an additional factor to what has been provided in the health belief model as predictor of HSB. The study proffers a number of recommendations for the improvement of healthcare for patients with OFT in Ghana.
Relationships among Socio-Cultural Values, Work-Family Conflict and Work Attitudes: A Study of Bank Managers in Ghana.
(University Of Ghana, 2016-06) Mensah, A.O.
The study investigated the relationships between socio-cultural values, work-family conflict and work attitudes among managers in the financial services sector. Although previous studies have investigated work-family conflict and other types of work attitudes, little is known regarding how an individual‟s socio-cultural values, together with their experience of work-family conflict influence their work attitude (job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job involvement). The study also examined social support and socio-cultural values as moderating variables of the relationship between work-family conflict and work attitudes. The research strategy employed was a cross-sectional survey which is considered to be one of the best techniques available for the study of attitudes, values, beliefs and motives. Specifically, the explanatory sequential mixed method was used. The research involved three studies. Study one focused on development and validation of socio-cultural values at work scale. A total of 30 employees were interviewed and 608 were given questionnaires. Analysis was done using thematic content analysis and principal components analysis. Five main factors emerged: moral values, attitude toward others, family values, religious values and communalism. The scale reported a Cronbach alpha of .71 and was then used in study two. Study two investigated the relationships that exist between Work-Family Conflict, Socio-cultural Values and Work Attitudes - (job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job involvement as well as the moderating effect of Socio-cultural values and Social Support on the relationship between work-family conflict and work attitude. A total of 211 Bank Managers were purposively selected from three capital cities in Ghana, namely: Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi. Subsamples of 12 Bank Managers were further recruited for qualitative enquiry. Partial Least Squares, a version of structural equation modeling and independent sample t-test were used to analyze the study two data. The results indicate no significant negative effect of work-family conflict on job satisfaction, organization commitment and job involvement. Contrary to expectation, family interference with work had a positive effect on job satisfaction, organization commitment and job involvement; while work interference with family had no significant negative effect on job satisfaction, organization commitment except job involvement. Socio-cultural values had a significant positive effect on work-family conflict as a composite while it had a positive but weak effect on work interference with family and a negative effect on family interference with work when assessed individually. Socio-cultural values and social support did not moderate the relationship between work-family conflict and job satisfaction as well as organizational commitment; however, it moderated the relationship between work-family conflict and job involvement. The results further revealed no significant gender difference in the experience of work-family conflict among the bank managers. Study three was a qualitative study conducted to explore the coping strategies used by Bank Managers in minimizing the effect of work interfering with family conflict and family interfering with work conflict on work attitudes. Five main typologies were identified: temporal adjustment, situational urgency, utilization of technology, social support and finally, adaptation. In conclusion, Bank Managers generally experience work-family conflict; however, the experience of the conflict did not have any negative effect on their job satisfaction and organizational commitment except job involvement. Additionally, their adherence to socio-cultural values had a positive effect on their work attitude (job satisfaction, organization commitment and job involvement). Finally, their receipt of social support and adherence to socio-cultural values did not moderate the relationship between work-family conflict and (job satisfaction, organization commitment) except job involvement. The study provides useful coping strategies in managing work-family conflict which is applicable to the Ghanaian culture. Implications and detailed discussion of the findings and recommendations for future research are presented in the main work.
Africentric Worldview And Psychological Health Among Primary Caregivers Of Children With Intellectual Disability In Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Oti-Boadi, M.
This study examined the extent to which Africentric worldview influence the relationship between stress and psychological health among primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability in Ghana using the mixed methods design. The quantitative phase recruited and assessed 160 primary caregivers using standardized measures assessing Stress, Africentric worldview, Africultural coping, and Psychological health. Results from MANOVA indicated that primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability experience significantly high levels of stress and poor psychological health than primary caregivers of children with sickle cell disease and healthy controls. Results from hierarchical regression analyses on primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability indicated that; first, caring for an intellectually disabled child is associated with high levels of stress which further leads to poor psychological health. Second, spirituality buffered the relationship between stress and anxiety. Third, Africentric values of spirituality and intuition predicted spiritual coping. The qualitative phase adopted semi-structured interviews with 11 primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability to inquire about their stressors and coping strategies. Using thematic analysis, emergent themes included; psychological reactions, caregiving challenges, societal reactions, coping strategies, psychological functioning, knowledge of condition, and perceived cause of disability. Despite the numerous challenges associated with caregiving, primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability reported the significance of their spirituality, family/community support systems, and hope as effective coping strategies in raising their children. Results from both the quantitative and qualitative phases demonstrated the stressful nature of raising a child with intellectual disability and the importance of Africentric values of spirituality and communal support systems in coping. Implications for clinical intervention programmes, research, policy, and psychological education are discussed.
Masculine Gender Role Conflict and its Psycho-Social Correlates: A Study among Homosexual Men in Ghana.
(University of Ghana, 2014) Otchere, Y.O.; Danquah, S.A.; Opoku, J. Y.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities School of Social Sciences Department of Psychology
Building on current knowledge, the primary aim of the present study was to assess psycho-social correlates of Masculine Gender Role Conflict (MGRC) among homosexual men and to posit and test a model by which the variables (psychological well-being, gay identity development and attitudes towards psychological help seeking behaviour) are related to MGRC. Guided by the Male gender role conflict theory, survey and interviews were used to collect data from 175 homosexual men. The data analysis methods used in the present study includes: descriptive statistics, pearson r correlation, regression and the Interpretative Phenomenological Analyses (IPA) to elaborate understandings on the relationships among the variables of interest. Correlation analyses revealed that high scores on MGRC were associated with positive attitude towards seeking psychological help. Also, high scores on MGRC were associated with fewer problems with anger, anxiety and depression among homosexual men. On the contrary, Africentric coping strategies could not moderate the relationship between MGRC and psychological well-being. Consequently, no mediation path was detected between gender role conflict and Gay Identity development with, sex-role preference as a mediator variable. Data derived from the qualitative analyses suggest that homosexual men in the present study experience stressors associated with MGRC. However, the results showed that collective coping in terms of sense of sexual identity was more recognizable among homosexual men. Therefore, the present study suggested a contextual model to better understand Masculine Gender Role Conflict among homosexual men in Africa.
The Relationships among Psychosocial Work Environment, Job Stress Recovery Experiences, Psychological Capital and Occupational Wellbeing: A Study among Nurses and Teachers in the Tamale Metropolis
(University of Ghana, 2015-10) Abasimi, E.; Asumeng, M.; Mate-Kole, C.C.; Amponsah, B.; Akotia, C.S.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
This thesis tested and extended the Job Demands-Resources-Recovery model of work among nurses and teachers in the Tamale Metropolis in Ghana. First, it examined the direct effects of psychosocial work environment factors, job stress recovery experiences and psychological capital on specific employee wellbeing indicators such as burnout - exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy; work engagement and career commitment. Second, it tested effects of certain psychosocial work environment factors on psychological capital and recovery experiences such as personal spirituality, mastery, relaxation and control. Third, it tested effects of certain recovery experiences on psychological capital. Three hundred and twenty two (322) nurses and teachers were administered questionnaires assessing selected psychosocial work environment factors, recovery experiences, psychological capital and employee wellbeing indicators. The results showed that the psychosocial work environment factors of psychological job demands, emotional job demands, workplace spirituality and predictability at work were associated with the occupational wellbeing indicators of burnout, work engagement and career commitment such that emotional job demands generally affected employee wellbeing and they are associated with burnout. Further, job resources such as workplace spirituality improved wellbeing by due to its association to work engagement. Emotional job demands predicted some recovery experiences such as personal spirituality, while workplace spirituality positively predicted the recovery experiences of personal spirituality, mastery, control and relaxation. Psychosocial work environment factors such as emotional demands and workplace spirituality predicted psychological capital. Recovery experiences of personal spirituality, mastery and control each had a positive effect on work engagement. Recovery experience of mastery predicted professional inefficacy while control predicted career commitment, cynicism and professional inefficacy. Psychological capital predicted work engagement, career commitment, cynicism and professional inefficacy. Thus the Job Demands-Resources-Recovery model could be extended to include psychological capital. Overall, nurses reported higher levels of exhaustion, cynicism and professional inefficacy (burnout) than teachers. Females reported higher cynicism and professional inefficacy than males. Implications of the study for theory and practice as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.
Health Seeking Behaviour among People Suffering from Cardiovascular Disorders
(University of Ghana, 2015-12) Sarfo, I.A.; Danquah, S.A.; Pappoe, M.; Asumeng, M.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities,School of Social Sciences,Department of Psychology
The study explores health seeking behaviour among people suffering from cardiovascular disorders in the New Juaben Municipality of Ghana, as a result of relationship between their personal experiences and their cultural worldview. This study was undertaken in an environment predominantly inhabited by Akans who hold the notion that health is maintained when there is a harmonious relationship between the individual and the environment and that there is no distinction between the physical and the supernatural worlds. The worldview that guides the people is the supernatural attribution to various health-related issues and that helps them to deal with matters related to their health. This contrast the views held by western trained clinicians who use solely the biomedical approach to explain health and illness and that this approach fails to take cognizance of the cultural explanation and local explanations of diseases into consideration. Limited studies on how such cultural beliefs influence health seeking behaviour for cardiovascular disorders, and that the few that have been undertaken have heavily relied on western conceptualisations to explain health and help seeking. Using a concurrent mixed method design, this study set out to understand health seeking behaviour using both qualitative (study 1) and quantitative (study 2) approaches. Study 1, was made up of (n=46) participants, involving 33 participants for focus group discussions and 13 key informants. The study explored the cultural values and belief systems that influence health seeking behaviour for cardiovascular disorders. Participants were of diverse age, sex, educational and occupational background. Using the thematic content analysis, the study showed that cultural factors such as definition, aetiology, enemysm and sale of diseases, communality, spirituality, relational tensions and multiple health seeking influence health seeking behaviour for cardiovascular disorders. To cross validate the findings of the qualitative study a quantitative study (study 2) was undertaken to explore health seeking behaviour for cardiovascular disorders. Quantitative data was collected from a different sample of 560 respondents. Hierarchical and categorical multiple regression and t-test were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results corroborated the findings of the qualitative study that cultural values and beliefs including belief in the supernatural aetiology of cardiovascular disorders were found to significantly influence health seeking behaviour. Results further showed that local definition of a disorder influences that choice of healthcare. Again, the role of traditional healers in the provision of holistic care is significant because of their ability to provide culturally accepted service to clients. On the basis of the findings, a three dimensional linear decision making process namely causal attribution, social persuasion and spatial dimensions and a model for health seeking were proposed. The findings are discussed within the framework of existing theories.
Attitudes toward Homosexuals: Assessing the Structure of Prejudicial Attitudes and the Moderating Effects of Religious Commitment and Morality
(University of Ghana, 2014-12) Gyasi-Gyamerah, A. A.; Danquah, S. A.; Mate-Kole, C. C.; Opoku, J. Y.; Akotia, C. S.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
Homosexuality has been a topic for debate for quite some time in Ghana and a lot of negative sentiments have been expressed publicly about it. This study therefore examined the structure of prejudicial attitudes toward homosexuals and the extent to which these attitudes are moderated by religious commitment and morality. It also examined the role of attributions in determining attitudes toward homosexuals and how homosexuals in turn view societal attitudes toward themselves. To achieve these, three studies (Ns = 190, 183, 159) were conducted using mixed methods to gather data from students of the University of Ghana. Overall, participants were found to have prejudicial attitudes that are solely driven by stereotypic beliefs and moderated by religious commitment and moral values. Both Study 1 and Study 2 found that attitudes toward homosexuals are negative regardless of personal characteristics. Unlike was the case in Study 1, in Study 2, the attitude components were associated with each other and their effects on the evaluation of homosexuals were moderated by religious commitment and moral values. Additionally, evaluation of homosexuals was relatively more favourable in the post-test condition although still negative and the most favourable behavioural intentions were towards the vignette 3 person. In Study 3, it emerged from the FGDs that religion permeates all aspects of Ghanaians‘lives although their religious commitment and morality is low albeit with justification. The negative attitudes found in Studies 1 and 2 were replicated here also as was the favourable behavioural intentions toward the vignette 3 person. The IDIs with homosexual students generally confirmed these findings. Limitations of the study and their implications for future research are discussed
African Cultural Values and Psychological Health in Adult Persons with Sickle Cell Disease in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Anim, M. T.; Mate-Kole, C. C.; Asumeng, M.; Osafo, J.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology; Thesis (PHD) - University of Ghana, 2015
Although spirituality has been found to reduce psychological symptoms, the factors that intervene in the relationship remain unclear. The present study aimed at determining whether African cultural values would moderate the relationship between spirituality and psychological health, and whether this observation was unique to SCD participants. Additionally, the study explored reasons for the use of African cultural values in coping. Finally, the study aimed at developing a model of coping with SCD. The study was cross sectional using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data was collected through questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 201 adult SCD participants. Two hundred and three (203) healthy and 201 diabetic participants were used as comparison groups. The qualitative data was obtained from a subsample of 23 SCD interviewees. Significant results that emerged from the quantitative study revealed that first, the three groups generally demonstrated significant differences in the variables studied. Second, SCD participants differed significantly from comparison groups on specific African cultural values subscales and on specific psychological symptoms. Third, specific African cultural values predicted psychological health in specific BSI subscales among SCD participants. The rest of the quantitative results did not find anything significant. In the qualitative analyses, participants reported using specific African cultural values for transcendental, social support, psychological relaxation, and minimum physical exercise purposes to promote psychological health. However, medical treatment was the mainstay. Aspects of African cultural values that did not support these functions were associated with poor psychological health. Some of these observations emerged in the larger sample while others did not. These results implied that there were significant differences between SCD and diabetic or healthy participants on endorsement of specific African cultural values and their effects on psychological health. It further implied that SCD individuals used other strategies to complement African cultural values to promote psychological health. Implications of the two studies were evaluated in a revised conceptual model for SCD. Psychological health of SCD participants was a function of factors in the biopsychosocial-spiritual model and based in African cultural values and in the cultural context of patients. Socio-demographic and disease characteristics and other unknown factors added to the equation. The implications of the findings for future research, clinical practice, patient management, and policy matters, were subsequently discussed.

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