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Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study

Received: 21 June 2021    Accepted: 1 July 2021    Published: 13 July 2021
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Abstract

The literature is dominant with findings that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors lead to psychological disorder and physical ill health. None of the available studies was conducted in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast region. This paper investigates if: socio-economic hardship and stressors have any significant impact on people’s psychological health and well-being; and if the impact of socio-economic hardship and stressors on people’s psychological health and well-being have social policy and environmental buffer in Southeast Nigeria. Researcher’s modelled questionnaire was used to generate data from a sample of 1000 respondents (male = 521 and females = 479) drawn from the capitals of the five states in Southeast Nigeria. The analysis of data generated was carried out with the aid of tables, % formula, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for purposes of determining their mean and standard deviation, and for descriptive purposes. Results of the analysis reveal high-level prevalence of financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors in the region that tend to influence respondents’ psychological health and well-being through anxiety and stress. Among others, it reveals also the efficacy of religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes as effective buffers to the potential negative impact. The study concludes that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors have potential negative impacts on people’s psychological health and well-being in Southeast Nigeria, however, religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes serve as buffers to this impact. The significance of these findings lay in their drive to introduce effective social policy and establish institutionalised professional counselling services across the region.

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11
Page(s) 89-94
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hardship, Socioeconomic Stressors, Psychological Health, Human Well-Being, Buffer

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Obidigbo Godwin Chekwubechukwu. (2021). Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(4), 89-94. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11

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    ACS Style

    Obidigbo Godwin Chekwubechukwu. Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(4), 89-94. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11

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    AMA Style

    Obidigbo Godwin Chekwubechukwu. Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(4):89-94. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11,
      author = {Obidigbo Godwin Chekwubechukwu},
      title = {Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study},
      journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
      volume = {10},
      number = {4},
      pages = {89-94},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211004.11},
      abstract = {The literature is dominant with findings that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors lead to psychological disorder and physical ill health. None of the available studies was conducted in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast region. This paper investigates if: socio-economic hardship and stressors have any significant impact on people’s psychological health and well-being; and if the impact of socio-economic hardship and stressors on people’s psychological health and well-being have social policy and environmental buffer in Southeast Nigeria. Researcher’s modelled questionnaire was used to generate data from a sample of 1000 respondents (male = 521 and females = 479) drawn from the capitals of the five states in Southeast Nigeria. The analysis of data generated was carried out with the aid of tables, % formula, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for purposes of determining their mean and standard deviation, and for descriptive purposes. Results of the analysis reveal high-level prevalence of financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors in the region that tend to influence respondents’ psychological health and well-being through anxiety and stress. Among others, it reveals also the efficacy of religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes as effective buffers to the potential negative impact. The study concludes that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors have potential negative impacts on people’s psychological health and well-being in Southeast Nigeria, however, religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes serve as buffers to this impact. The significance of these findings lay in their drive to introduce effective social policy and establish institutionalised professional counselling services across the region.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    T1  - Socio-Economic Hardship, Psychological Health and Human Wellbeing in Nigeria: A Southeast Study
    AU  - Obidigbo Godwin Chekwubechukwu
    Y1  - 2021/07/13
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11
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    T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
    JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
    JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211004.11
    AB  - The literature is dominant with findings that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors lead to psychological disorder and physical ill health. None of the available studies was conducted in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast region. This paper investigates if: socio-economic hardship and stressors have any significant impact on people’s psychological health and well-being; and if the impact of socio-economic hardship and stressors on people’s psychological health and well-being have social policy and environmental buffer in Southeast Nigeria. Researcher’s modelled questionnaire was used to generate data from a sample of 1000 respondents (male = 521 and females = 479) drawn from the capitals of the five states in Southeast Nigeria. The analysis of data generated was carried out with the aid of tables, % formula, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for purposes of determining their mean and standard deviation, and for descriptive purposes. Results of the analysis reveal high-level prevalence of financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors in the region that tend to influence respondents’ psychological health and well-being through anxiety and stress. Among others, it reveals also the efficacy of religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes as effective buffers to the potential negative impact. The study concludes that financial crisis and socioeconomic stressors have potential negative impacts on people’s psychological health and well-being in Southeast Nigeria, however, religious activities and doctrinal teachings together with illegal sources of incomes serve as buffers to this impact. The significance of these findings lay in their drive to introduce effective social policy and establish institutionalised professional counselling services across the region.
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

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