Browsing by Author "Stephen Asatsa"

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    Death Attitudes as Possible Predictors of Death Preparedness across Lifespan among Nonclinical Populations in Nairobi County, Kenya
    (ResearchGate, 2020-08) Stephen Asatsa
    Death is an important part of lifespan development, yet it remains trivialized or feared across many cultures. The perpetuation of death as a taboo subject continues to negatively affect the society. Death anxiety inhibits death preparedness which could affect the quality of dying. The pool of unclaimed assets held by different organizations continues to increase, intestate deaths remain high, and post death conflicts continue to affect many families. Aims: This study intended to examine death attitudes as possible predictors of death preparedness and explore the rationale for various death attitudes across lifespan in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: The study adopted the mixed‑methods explanatory sequential research design combining cross‑sectional and phenomenological designs. The study targeted young adults, middle‑aged adults, and seniors with a sample of 335 participants selected using multistage, stratified, and extreme case sampling designs. Data were collected using the Death Attitude Profile‑Revised and interview guides. Analysis: Data were analyzed using univariate and thematic analyses. Results: The findings indicated that negative death attitudes declined with increase in age, whereas positive death attitudes increased with increase in age. Some of the reasons for negative death attitudes included threatening dying process, unfulfilled life goals, fear of hell, unresolved past deaths, and families with young children among others. The reasons for positive death attitude included reuniting with deceased loved ones and peers, meeting the creator, and end to a prolonged miserable life and fulfilled past life. Conclusion: This study implies that mental health practitioners need to target younger adults with death education programs to promote death preparedness and quality dying. For the older adults, addressing life regrets, family conflicts, and past unresolved deaths would significantly improve the quality of dying.
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    Integration to families of origin and the psychosocial adjustment of orphans in Bagamoyo, Tanzania
    (ResearchGate, 2020-03-31) Severine P. Ascharia; Stephen Asatsa
    Integrating children from orphanages back to their family of origin remains a challenge to many children’s homes in Tanzania. This study aimed at investigating the psychosocial challenges faced in the process of integrating the children back to their homes of origin. The study was guided by two research objectives namely, to examine the integration procedures used by orphanages and to establish strategies to help orphans adjust psychosocially in their family of origin in Bagamoyo District of Tanzania. The target population of the study was 57 orphans and 12 administrators from three orphanages in Bagamoyo District in Tanzania together with their 73 guardians. From this population a sample of 19 participants was chosen using purposive sampling, automatic inclusion and simple random sampling to participate in the study. Automatic inclusion was used to select administrators and simple random sampling was used to select relatives. The study employed the qualitative phenomenological research design. Data were collected using semi structured questionnaires and interview schedules. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis backed by narratives from the participants. The results showed that integration of orphans into their families of origin was faced with challenges such as inappropriate procedures used by administrators in engaging orphans with their families, lack of proper procedures like debriefing, psycho-education and training for both relatives and the orphans. The study findings demonstrated that the integration process could be enhanced by involving local authorities such as chiefs, religious leaders, children officers and facilitating regular visits to the home of origin by the children. The findings may be relevant in guiding policy on the orphan integration to the family of origin. The study recommended that the administrators should start early the integration process, should involve as many authorities as possible during integration and also help orphans to bond with relatives early to avoid conflicts that may arise during integration.
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    Regulating community well-being through traditional mourning rituals: Insights from the Luhya People of Kenya
    (Evolution, Medicine, & Public Health, 2025-01) Stephen Asatsa; Sheina Lew-Levy; Stephen Ngaari Mbugua; Maria Ntaragwe; Wilkister Shanyisa; Elizabeth Gichimu; Jane Nambiri; Jonathan Omuchesi
    Background and objectives: Rituals have been reported to serve as a vital mechanism for expressing grief and fostering communal support worldwide. Despite these benefits, use of rituals in Indigenous communities is threatened by missionization, globalization, and westernization. This study sought to examine the relevance of traditional mourning rituals in community morality and well-being. Anchored in cultural evolutionary theory, the study employed an ethnographic research design. Methodology: Data were collected from 45 community elders, 30 bereaved adults, 30 bereaved adolescents, and 8 religious leaders through focus group discussions and interviews. Results: The study established five mourning rituals practiced by the Luhya people, each potentially serving an evolutionary function for community survival and well-being. Our findings show that Luhya traditional mourning rituals play an important role in community well-being, though not all members may benefit equally from these effects. Conclusions and implications: The study established conflict over rituals with differing viewpoints from religious leaders, cultural leaders, and the western biomedical approach to mental well-being. Yet, the bereaved reported that both Luhya and religious rituals helped them process their grief. To address mental health issues fully, it is important to establish collaboration between western models, religious approaches, and cultural approaches. Lay Summary Rituals are important practices that help people express their grief and provide support within communities around the world yet in most indigenous communities across the world, yet these rituals are being replaced by western biomedical approaches. This study focused on the significance of traditional mourning rituals among the Luhya people of Kenya and how these practices contribute to community morality and well-being. The study interviewed community elders, bereaved adults and adolescents, and religious leaders. The findings revealed that traditional rituals are crucial for the community's health, although not all members experience the same benefits. There were differing opinions about the rituals from religious leaders, cultural leaders, and those who follow western medical approaches to mental health. Despite these conflicts, many bereaved individuals reported that both Luhya and religious rituals helped them cope with their grief. To effectively address mental health issues, the study suggests a need for collaboration between western mental health models, religious practices, and cultural traditions. This approach could create a more comprehensive support system for those experiencing loss.
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    The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents
    (Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2025-03-28) Stephen Asatsa
    Background and aims: Despite the last decade’s significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon. Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire, developed within an addiction framework, was administered alongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in a total sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). Results: Based on theoretical premises and psychometric testing, the International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measure representing essential features of work addiction. The seven-item version (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while the five-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higher levels of work addiction on both versions were associated with higher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteem across cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points) and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracy of 96% for both versions. Discussion and conclusions: The IWAS is a valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used in different cultures and languages, providing comparative and generalizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical and organizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommended for most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study to provide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is a universal phenomenon worldwide.