Authors: Phinehas Ng’ang’a Kamande and Florence S. A. K’Okul
Department of Psychology (Counseling Psychology)
Mount Kenya University, P. O. Box 342-01000, Thika, Kenya
Co-responding Author Email: ngangaphinehas@gmail.com
Abstract: Pastors’ wives are an important group of people in the society ;they are not only looked upon by their families and congregations for inspiration but they also act as role model for the women in the society. In Laikipia County cases of pastors’ wives suffering from depression, burnout, and chronic physical health issues have been on the rise. This has not only affected them individually but it has also affected their marriages, families and their relationship with the society. The problem is not the stressors but the coping strategies which they have employed such as prayer, avoidance, withdrawal and hope that things will still workout, which have escalated their stress rather than alleviating it. Positive work-related stress coping strategy such as social support has not been majorly explored. Therefore, this study sought to examine the influence of social support on reducing stress among pastors’ wives in Pentecostal churches in Laikipia County, Kenya.The study employed descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 166 Pentecostal churches operating in Laikipia County and focused on the wives of the senior pastors of the respective churches. A multi-stage sampling was used; the churches were divided into zones and membership categories. Simple random sampling was used to select fifty churches and fifty pastors’ wives from the selected churches. A total of 50 senior pastors’ wives were sampled, which was approximately 30 % of the accessible population. Data for the study was collected by use of self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and T-test analyses were utilized for data analysis. The study established a negative correlation between social support and stress among pastors’ wives. That is the relationship between social support and stress among pastors’ wives in Pentecostal churches in Laikipia county was statically significant. Besides an independent sample T-test indicated that stress levels for pastors’ wives experiencing low social support was significantly higher than for their counterparts displaying high social support hence the study established a significant relationship between social support and stress among pastors’ wives in Pentecostal churches in Laikipia County. It was concluded that a pastor’s wife who was part of a welfare network in her church would have coping mechanism for stressful issues unlike the one who lacked social support hence feeling lonely. Further, it was recommended that pastors ‘wives should undergo Counseling training on stress coping mechanism as well as enlightening the congregation on the need to be sensitive towards pastors families and offering social support.
Keywords: Social support coping Strategy, stress reduction, Pentecostal Pastors’ wives stress reduction
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Suggested Citation
Ng’ang’a, P.K., K’Okul, F.S. (2024). Influence of Social Support Groups on Reducing Stress Among Pastors’ Wives in Pentecostal Churches in Laikipia County, Kenya. African Research Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 11(3), 113-123 Available at http://arjess.org/social-sciences-research/influence-of-social-support-groups-on-reducing-stress-among-pastors-wives-in-pentecostal-churches-in-laikipia-county-kenya.pdf
