Influence of Remarriage on Psychological Well-Being of Parentally Bereaved Adolescents in Kiambu County

Abstract

An adolescent faces a myriad of adjustment challenges characteristic of their developmental stage. In addition, a parentally bereaved adolescent faces other challenges unique to blended families when their surviving parent remarries. The current study examined the influence of remarriage on the psychological well-being of parentally bereaved adolescents in Kiambu County. The study objectives were: To examine how loyalty binds, parenting tasks, and family culture influence parentally bereaved adolescents' psychological well-being. Based on attachment and family system theories, the study adopted a descriptive design using quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The sample comprised of 132 parentally bereaved adolescents from reconstituted families, and 10 key informants who were social workers, clergies, and individuals fostering parentally bereaved adolescents. Quantitative data were collected using self-administered questionnaires among adolescents, and qualitative data were obtained from the key informants through focus group discussions (FGDs). To ensure the reliability of the research instrument, a pilot study was done before conducting the actual study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics namely, percentage, frequency, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics which were ANOVA, and multivariate and the findings were presented by use of tables. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using a latent approach and the findings were presented in verbatim. The findings showed that the adolescents exhibited low levels of psychological well-being. The findings on autonomy and acceptance revealed a mean of 2.47 with a standard deviation of 0.926, and a mean of 2.40 with a standard deviation of 1.048, respectively. The findings revealed that loyalty binds influenced psychological well- being of adolescents as indicated by a mean of 2.22 and a standard deviation of 0.930.In addition, parenting task was reported to affect the adolescents psychological well-being as indicated by a mean of 2.64 and a standard deviation of 0.934.Further, it was established that family culture influenced adolescents psychological well-being as indicated by a mean of 2.29 and a standard deviation of 0.912. The regression model was statistically significant in predicting that loyalty binds, parenting tasks, and family culture influenced parentally bereaved adolescents’ psychological wellbeing (Sig. value = 0.000). The regression analysis showed a strong and significant association between loyalty binds and psychological well-being (coefficient value of 0.293, p-value of .028); family culture and psychological well-being (coefficient value of .342, p-value of.010); and parenting task and psychological well-being (coefficient value of .264, p-value of .013). The findings implied that loyalty binds, parenting tasks, and family culture strongly and positively influenced the adolescent’s psychological well-being. The study recommends specific counseling interventions to assist parentally bereaved adolescents to adjust psychologically and thereby fit in reconstituted families.