Truth about Rape Myths: Understanding the Effects of Sexual Violence and Date Rape Attitudes on Rape Myths Acceptance in Ghana

Purpose: Rape myths acceptance is a global phenomenon with dire consequences on how sexual assault victims are perceived and treated. People who hold strong sexual violence beliefs tend to blame the victims for their victimizations while praising the offenders. It has widely been acknowledged that such attitudes hinder crime reporting while promoting violence in society. The main purpose of the current study was to examine the factors that influence rape myths acceptance among students in Ghana. Method: Data for the study was collected from students attending one of the largest universities in the country between 2021 and 2022. Results: Our results revealed that sexual violence experience, college date rape attitudes, age, degree program, and ethnicity influenced rape myths acceptance among students. Conclusion: Based on the findings, we recommend that colleges should create a conducive environment for victims of sexual violence whereby educating students about the harmful effects of rape myths acceptance

Marital Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction Among Ghanaians

This study examined factors associated with marital satisfaction/dissatisfaction among Ghanaian couples living in Ghana and abroad. Using a correlational design, data from a convenience sample of 231 married participants from Ghana and abroad were collected via an online survey. Results from regression analyses revealed that four positive behaviors - affection, companionship, commitment to the family, financial support - and one negative behavior, beatings/slaps, were significantly associated with marital satisfaction. Three negative behaviors - annoying habits, selfishness, and disrespect - were significantly associated with marital dissatisfaction. Participants in Ghana reported significantly higher rates of beatings in marriage compared to those abroad. Also, negative behaviors experienced in marriage were significantly associated with less secure, and more anxious attachment styles. Finally, slaps/beatings as associated with marital satisfaction show unique cultural/sub-cultural interpretations of behaviors. Findings contribute to growing studies and clinical practice that serve multicultural individuals and families

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Mothers of Children With Intellectual Disability in Ghana

This study explored the experiences of mothers of children with intellectual disability in Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to determine the challenges and coping strategies associated with raising a child with intellectual disability. Using the phenomenological approach, 11 mothers were purposively selected from mothers whose children attended a “special” school. Semistructured interviews were used to collect data on the experiences of mothers of children with intellectual disability. Data were analyzed and interpreted into six themes including emotional reactions, caregiving challenges, societal reactions, knowledge of the condition, perceived cause of the condition, and coping strategies. The findings of the study demonstrate that being a mother of a child with intellectual disability is beset with several negative experiences of stress; however, mothers recounted the valuable nature of their coping strategies including spiritual beliefs, support, and hope in raising their children with intellectual disability. This study highlighted the challenging nature of having a child with intellectual disability and the beneficial roles of coping strategies in helping mothers traverse the caregiving journey with their children. This study provides relevant information for mental health practice, policy, and research, and serves as a guide in developing intervention programs for parents of children with intellectual disability in Ghana. </jats:p

Psychological health and religious coping of Ghanaian women with infertility

Abstract Background Infertility has been shown to have considerable psychological effects on the well-being of couples, especially women. Religion has been found as a resource used by infertile women to cope with their distress. Little research has examined the influence of religious coping on psychological distress among infertile women in Ghana. This study examines the relationship between positive and negative religious coping and psychological health for women with infertility problems in Ghana. Methods One hundred and fifty married women who were receiving assisted reproduction care in two specialized clinics were recruited for this study. Participants were administered with the Brief Symptom Inventory and Brief Religious Coping Scale to assess psychological health associated with infertility and religious coping respectively. A hierarchical regression was performed to examine the relative contribution of the domains of psychological health (i.e. somatization, anxiety and depression) in predicting negative religious coping and positive religious. Results The results showed that negative religious coping was significant and positively correlated with somatization, depression and anxiety. Furthermore, a positive relationship also existed between positive religious coping and somatization and anxiety but not depression. After controlling for age and duration of infertility, somatization and anxiety predicted positive religious coping whilst all the domains of psychological health (somatization, anxiety and depression) precited negative religious coping. Conclusions This study expanded on the existing literature by examining positive and negative religious coping with psychological distress associated with infertility for women. These results underscore the need for health professionals providing therapies for women with infertility to acknowledge and consider their religious beliefs as this influences their mental health

Childhood Experiences, Resilience, and Ghanaian Adult Psychological Well-Being

Significant amounts of research exist concerning adverse childhood experiences and trauma (ACES) and its negative consequences on adult well-being. However, there is minimal research on a concept known as positive childhood experiences (PCES), which are circumstances in childhood that provide safety, security, and predictability in the home. It has been shown that PCES and ACES have co-occurred in childhood. It is apparent that PCES positively affect one\u27s life, can counteract the negative effects of ACE exposure, and can promote resiliency. These studies have been done with samples across the Western Hemisphere. However, this study seeks to examine the effects of adverse and positive childhood experiences on psychological well-being as well as the role of resilience in explaining these relationships among a Ghanaian sample of adults. It is hypothesized that resilience would mediate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences, positive childhood experiences and adult psychological well-being. Data was collected in 2023 from Ghanaian adults (n=303; Mage=21; Age Range=18-50). Findings from this study will better inform our understanding of PCES, their co-occurrence with ACES, and their impact on adult well-being. Findings will also provide strategies for informed care in the Ghanaian population

Predictors of sexual satisfaction among Social Security and National Insurance Trust pensioners in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

The population of pensioners remains on the rise in Ghana coupled with an intrinsic need for sexual activity and satisfaction. However, data on factors associated with sexual satisfaction among pensioners are limited in Ghana. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of sexual satisfaction among Social Security and National Insurance Trust pensioners in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. We employed a cross-sectional survey design in this study. Participants were recruited using cluster and stratified sampling techniques. Our analytical sample was 410 participants. Ordinal logistic regressions were employed to determine predictors of sexual satisfaction among the participants. The significance of the test was set at a p-value ≤ 0.05. The results showed that participants who were household head (AOR: 1.874, 95% CI: 1.037-3.388), who did not incur any expenditure on their household in a month (AOR: 6.290, 95% CI: 1.758-22.511) and those who undertake daily exercises were significantly (AOR: 1.981, 95% CI: 1.276-3.075) more likely to fall in one of the higher categories of sexual satisfaction compared to their counterparts. Also, the study revealed that those with secondary education (AOR:.503, 95% CI:.253-.0.999), who were in the public sector (AOR:.449, 95% CI:.237 -.850), who were very dissatisfied with health service access/use (AOR:.032, 95% CI:.002-.421) and not able to determine whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied with their health status (AOR:.518, 95% CI:.329-.816) were significantly less likely to fall in one of the higher categories of sexual satisfaction. Findings of this study suggest that household headship, education level, employment sector, expenditure on household, satisfaction with health services/use, daily exercises intake and satisfaction with health status were associated with sexual satisfaction among the participants. In relation to our findings, the implications for policy, practice and future research have been discussed for the attention of policy makers and researchers