Assessment of The Levels of Stress and Help-Seeking Intentions among Male Boda Boda Operators in Kamahuha Ward, Murang’a County, Kenya.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of stress and help-seeking intentions among male boda boda operators in Kamahuha Ward, Murang’a County. The objectives of this study were to assess the levels of stress among male boda boda operators, investigate help-seeking intentions of male boda boda operators, establish the barriers to help-seeking by male boda boda operators, and determine the possible strategies to increase help-seeking among male boda boda operators in Kamahuha Ward, Murang’a County. This study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. The research instruments included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHQS), and interview schedules. A total of 145 male boda boda operators participated in the study. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The qualitative data collected was analyzed using Nvivo version 12. The study found that 101 boda boda operators in the area exhibited moderate, 26 with high and 18 with low levels of stress. The findings indicated that there were more operators with high levels of stress than those with low levels of stress which meant that interventions were necessary. The study also found that 100 of the boda boda operators exhibited high help-seeking intentions when facing personal problems while 71 exhibited high help-seeking intentions when struggling with suicidal thoughts. The study found that despite high help-seeking intentions, there were barriers hindering help-seeking. The researcher recommended an increase in the awareness of mental health problems and coping strategies, availability of a drop-in center, a toll-free line, and capacity building for some operators to act as informal sources of help to their peers.