Counselling the Traumatized and Depressed. A Catholicon for Marital Instability: Implications for Counselling

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue IV, April 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Counselling the Traumatized and Depressed. A Catholicon for Marital Instability: Implications for Counselling

Barr. (Mrs) Mary L. Effiong, Ph.D¹, Edidiong Ime Inyang^2
1Director Center for Counselling and Human Development, Obong University, Obong-ntak, Etim-Ekpo LGA, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
²Department of Communication and Humanities Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: – Counselling the Traumatized and Depressed: A Catholicon for Marital Instability: Implications for Counselling.
The researcher, a scholar of family life, in quest to battle with societal menace called marital instability decides to investigate whether counselling the traumatized and the depressed can go a long way to inhibit marital instability, thereby promote marital stability. In determining these, the researcher decides to use sub-variables like marital communication mood and marital sex, then through purposive sampling techniques obtained with the aid of Planning, Research and Statistics (P.R.S) Directorate,1500 married civil servants which is 25% of six thousand and ten (6010) population married civil servants from 20 parent ministries in Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria .The researcher during the course of the research formulated and tested 2 research questions which are: How does communication mood of traumatized and depressed couples influence their marital stability? And how does marital sex of traumatized and depressed couples influence their marital stability. In like manner, 2 null hypotheses which are: The communication mood and marital sex does significantly influence the marital stability of the traumatized and the depressed couples. The researcher used Ex-post facto research design then marital communication and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy theories by Bateson and Albert Ellis served as the theoretical basis. The researcher developed instrument titled, Communication Moods and Marital Sex of Traumatized and Depressed Couple Questionnaire (CMSTDCQ) of 20 items was utilized to generate data. Two experts comprising of one subject specialist and a lecturer from test and measurement unit, were used face validation of this instrument. The instrument underwent reliability test using Alpha Cronbach. The two null hypotheses for the study were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance using independent test after organizing and analyzing the data collected for the study. The result showed that all the null hypotheses were rejected meaning that, communication mood and marital sex of the traumatized and depressed significantly influence their marital stability. From the finding, it was established that better communication mood and marital sex life is key for marital stability and as such, the researcher recommended amongst others that; for effective output from civil servants, government should periodically organize and sponsor workshop, seminar for civil servants in Nigeria on importance and effectiveness of communication and marital sex to marital stability. Then added that, this workshop/seminar should be carried out by a seasoned professional family counsellor.

Keywords: Traumatized, Depressed and Marital Instability.

I. INTRODUCTION

Life is stressful and difficult but with awareness through counselling, it becomes bearable. This is to say that,( one of the most reliable and consistent ways to get help in navigating some of life’s challenges is by seeking counselling. Little wonder, Dowindle,( 2018) postulated that, counselling is an excellent way to treat chronic mental illness that could have been caused by trauma/depression. The contemporary world of this era is noted for different types of societal, man-made and natural menaces ranging from frictions, conflict, insurgency, bandits, militancy, Boko Haram, suicide bombing, kidnapping, earthquakes, incurable sicknesses, un-diagnosable sicknesses, terminal sicknesses and of course untimely and painful exit in form of death. These menaces have not only affected and infected the spiritual, economical, sociological, psychological, political and even physiological aspects of human beings but have also tampered with the engine room of the world- the family, thereby promoting in entirety marital instability which is a cankerworm to all forms and manners of development as mankind is traumatized and depressed.

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