Factors influencing suicidal behaviors among youth in Bomet central sub-county
Abstract
The research report sought to investigate factors influencing suicidal behaviors among youth in
Bomet Central Sub-County, Bomet County. Bomet County was situated in South Rift valley in
Kenya. Bomet county had a population of 730 129 people (Kenya Census, 2009) and the main
occupation was farming in rural areas and business activities in urban center. Suicidal behaviors
among youth were very common especially in Bomet Central Sub-County. Suicidal behaviors
among youth had become a problem not only to the affected family but also to the entire county;
because of serious effects on medical care fee, injury and death. As a result, the researcher
sought to study factors influencing suicidal behaviors among youth in Bomet Central SubCounty.
The research was guided by the following objectives: Firstly, the researcher sought to
determine the extent to which land influences suicidal behaviors among youth in Bomet Central
Sub-County. Secondly, the researcher sought to determine the extent to which domestic
conflicts influence suicidal behaviors among youth in Bomet Central Sub-County. Thirdly, the
researcher sought to determine the extent to which alcoholism influences suicidal behaviors
among youth in Bomet Central Sub-County. Fourthly, the researcher sought to determine the
extent to which terminal illness influences suicidal behaviors among youth in Bomet Central
Sub-County. The researcher used questionnaires for youth who indulged in suicidal behaviors
and interview guides for health workers (doctors, social workers and psychological counselors)
to obtain the data of the study in Bomet Central Sub-County. The target population was 70 youth
who were involved in suicidal behaviors in Bomet Central Sub-County. In addition, the
researcher targeted 10 Health workers who had encountered suicidal behaviors among youth
using an interview guide. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative methods to
analyze the data. The researcher found out that majority of participants (60%) was aged between
22-27 years, middle level college and married. The most common method of suicide was by
poison, 47.1%. Regarding the role of land issues influencing suicide, landlessness was the most
common influence (38.0%) followed by land disputes. In addition, domestic conflicts influence
suicidal behaviors whereby the most common responses reported assault in the family, 32.9%.
Alcoholism influence suicidal behaviors whereby the most common responses reported addiction
as having very high influence, followed by irresponsible in the family and by violence when
drunk. Concerning the extent to which terminal illness influences suicidal behaviors among
youth; the most common responses reported infection of HIV/AIDS having a very high
influence. Finally, the researcher gave the following recommendations to mitigate suicidal
behaviors among youth in Bomet Central Sub-County: firstly, proper policy of poisons
management should be established in order to regulate on how to handle and to keep all
dangerous poisons away from youth. Secondly, psychological counseling centers should be
established in accessible places for quality management of domestic conflicts among youth.
Thirdly, Land policy programs should avail relevant information to minimize land disputes
among youth.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5964]