INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XVII October 2025 | Special Issue on Psychology  
Informational Support on Marital Satisfaction of Protestant Clergy  
and Their Spouses in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya  
Dr. Eunice Namonywe Emusugut1*, Dr. Stephen Asatsa2, Dr. Sheba Atieno Okumu3  
1PhD, HSC Catholic University of Eastern Africa Counselling Psychologist  
2PhD H.O.D Counselling Psychology CUEA  
3PhD Clinical Psychology  
*Corresponding Authors  
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.917PSY0070  
Received: 02 November 2025; Accepted: 12 November 2025; Published: 27 November 2025  
ABSTRACT  
Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine informational support of protestant clergy and their spouses on  
marital satisfaction in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya.  
Methodology: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample  
size of 273 protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a simple random sampling technique for  
quantitative, and 12 participants who were purposefully selected for qualitative, low and high performance on  
levels of marital satisfaction. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS) and the Scales of Perceived  
Social Support were used to collect quantitative data, with the former having a reliability coefficient of 0.834  
and the latter of 0.954, respectively. The researcher used both standardized questionnaires and an in-depth  
interview guide questionnaire to obtain data. Descriptive analysis and thematic analysis were used to examine  
the data. The data was presented in form of tables. SPSS version 23 for the social sciences was for inferential  
analysis.  
Findings: The results of this study showed a weak negative and statistically significant associations between  
information support and marital happiness. The results indicated that the general marital satisfaction of  
protestant clergy and their spouses fell as informational support increased. Unintentional distortion due to a  
lack of information, such as inability of the communicator of the information, uncertainties, or difficulties in  
interpersonal contacts, may account for the weak, negative, and statistically significant relationship between  
information support and marital satisfaction.  
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was anchored on the dynamic goal theory  
of marital satisfaction. The study also recommends that the policymaker’s plan and strategize to engage  
counselling psychologists with the intent to deal with specific issues that married couples present. It is high  
time for the government to stop being reactive to issues pertaining marital and family and engage the mental  
health professionals on the best prevention intervention for marriage and family in general.  
Keywords: Marital Satisfaction, Informational Support, Protestant Clergy and their Spouses  
INTRODUCTION  
Advice, direction, ideas, and other forms of informational support were defined by Scott and Susman (2020).  
Advice-givers and information-sharers help people figure out what they should do next by compiling and  
disseminating data on what has worked for others in similar situations. The potential of information to promote  
health and happiness cannot be overstated. Like any other marriage, clergy and their partners can benefit from  
informational resources aimed at strengthening their union. This is because ministerial pressures, including  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
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time constraints, role conflicts, and the weight of personal responsibility, can pile on top of those imposed by  
the congregation.  
The happiness of clergy couples may be affected, however, by processes involving the sharing of information.  
External stressors and trajectories of marital quality in the first years of Chinese marriage, as well as the  
buffering effects of resources at various ecological levels (Li, Curran, Butler, Toomey, Cao & Fang, 2021).  
Two hundred and sixty-eight heterosexual Chinese newlywed couples participated in the previous study, which  
used a survey research design to collect its data.  
The reviewed studies suggested that in order to help couples cope with stressors, it is essential to include  
resources that are accessible at multiple level of ecology (personal, relational, social network) and to take into  
account the possibility that social-cultural backgrounds may have influenced the efficacy of a specific resource  
(Li et al., 2021).While the reviewed studies focused on the external stressors and trajectories of marital quality  
in the early years of Chinese marriage as well as the buffering effects of resources at multiple ecological levels,  
the current study looked at the relationship between perceived social support(informational, appraisal,  
emotional, and instrumental) and satisfaction with marriage among the protestant clergy and their partners.  
The current study was conducted in Dagoretti South Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya, whereas the  
reviewed study was conducted in China. In addition, a total of 268 people were surveyed as part of the research  
process in the study under evaluation. Instead, an explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used in  
the present investigation, which included correlational quantitative and phenomenological qualitative  
methodologies. In addition to the qualitative participants who were chosen in a more deliberate fashion, the  
current study used a sample of 273 respondents selected using basic random sampling approaches.  
Tong, Jia, Fang, Su, He, Liu, and Fang (2023) conducted a similar study during the COVID-19 pandemic in  
China to investigate how and when stress affects individual (i.e. psychological health) and interpersonal well-  
being (i.e. marital satisfaction). Data from the family connection survey and intervention conducted during the  
COVID-19 pandemic were used in the reviewed study, which took a large-scale survey approach.  
Advertisements in schools and on the internet were used to recruit families in which (1) at least one child was  
enrolled in elementary or secondary school and (2) the child lived with both biological parents. There were a  
total of 3,888 adult respondents and 2,551 kid respondents who finished the online survey.  
The Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Henan, Jilin, and Zhejiang were surveyed between April 10 and May 10,  
2020. According to the studies that were looked at, the impact of stress on individuals and relationships may  
depend on the kind of the communication that exists between spouses. The reviewed research looked at the  
effects of stress on the health of Chinese adults and children during the 2009 COVID-19 pandemic. However,  
the current investigation targeted the perceived social support, and marital contentment of the protestant  
clergy. The current research focused on a subset of that population—ministers—because of the distinctive  
traits associated with their chosen field.  
Since this research was carried out in Kenya's Dagoretti South  
Sub-County, it also helped fill in some missing background information. While the reviewed study used a  
survey research design, the current study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods strategy that  
combined correlational quantitative and phenomenological qualitative methods to explain the results. Although  
stress has been shown to negatively affect both individuals and relationships, the extent of the harm may differ  
according to how partners interact while stressed (Nguyen, Williamson, Karney, & Bradbury, 2017).  
Researchers Melguizo-Garn1, Hombrados-Mendieta, Martos-Méndez, and Ruiz-Rodrguez (2021) looked into  
the impact of social support on the well-being of parents whose children had cancer. The study used a survey  
as its method of data collection. There were 112 parents whose children were treated for cancer at the Mother  
and Child Hospital in Malaga (Spain). According to the reviewed studies, there are substantial real-world  
consequences for the psychological care given to parents of children with cancer.  
The analyzed research also highlighted the importance of tailoring assistance to individual needs, as advocated  
by the specificity of support theorists. In addition, the results of the prior study demonstrated that people who  
are provided with informational support are able to address their concerns by obtaining answers from a variety  
of sources within a given setting. The current study was conducted in Dagoretti South Sub-County in Nairobi,  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XVII October 2025 | Special Issue on Psychology  
Kenya, whereas the reviewed study was conducted in Malaga, Spain. Parents of children being treated at the  
Mother and Child Hospital for cancer were the primary subjects of the study under consideration. Instead, this  
research looked specifically at Protestant clergy and their partners. A total of 273 people were surveyed in  
contrast to the 112 who participated in the earlier study. In the earlier study, researchers used a survey-based  
methodology. However, this investigation employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods methodology,  
fusing correlational quantitative and phenomenological qualitative methodologies.  
Jones (2020) explored on the correlation between ministry stress and burnout among clergy couples serving  
congregations of more than 250 people in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The investigation was  
conducted with a quantitative correlational approach. A total of 142 pastors and their spouses from churches  
that are autonomous across the seven cities of Hampton Roads were used as participants in the study.  
The reviewed research found that ministerial demands significantly predicted burnout. Researchers found that  
clergy members marry and frequently involve their families in ministry activities. This suggests that clergy  
spouses also face considerable stress as a result of their loved one's ministry commitments. They endure extra  
stress as their husbands' primary social supports. The question of whether or not clergy spouses receive social  
help for their own marital needs remains unanswered. The question of role ambiguity, raised by the lack of  
defining elements of what comprises role expectations, can have negative implications for the mental health  
and life satisfaction of clergy spouses (Jones, 2020). This is because role ambiguity occurs when people are  
confused about their place in society and the workplace.  
Since the reviewed study was conducted in Virginia, USA, which may have a different cultural background  
than Kenyan culture, the current study helped to close this contextual gap. However, the current study used an  
explanatory sequential mixed methods design that combined correlational quantitative and phenomenological  
qualitative approaches to provide an explanatory framework, while the reviewed study used a quantitative  
correlational research strategy. There was also a significant difference in sample size between the prior study  
(n=142) and the current study (n=273).  
Seventh-day Adventist pastors' wives were the subjects of a study by Drumm, Cooper, Seifert, McBride, and  
Sedlacek (2017). The research used a mixed-method approach, consisting of both a quantitative survey and  
qualitative focus groups with Seventh-day Adventist clergy and their families throughout North America.  
There were 39 people in the study's sample. Hispanics, African-Americans, Caucasians, and Asians were all  
represented in the evaluated study. According to the studies we looked at, ministry obligations are likely to  
increase family stress. There was a stronger correlation between ministry expectations and burnout, ministry  
optimism, well-being, and life satisfaction (especially in the areas of personal criticism and family criticism).  
The reviewed research also showed that clergy spouses, who often work hand in hand with their partners in  
ministry, feel the effects of ministry pressures. The spouses of clergy members remain an unexplored and  
unheard demographic. The literature on clergy burnout, psychological discomfort, and dwindling years of  
service is extensive, but clergy wives have not been given a voice and are left wanting for their needs to be met  
in the context of marriage. Since the current study was conducted in Kenya and the reviewed study was  
conducted in North America, there was also a contextual gap between the two. The prior study also employed  
a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative interviews.  
An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used in the present investigation by merging  
correlational quantitative and phenomenological qualitative methodologies. While the current study only  
included protestant clergy and their wives, the sample also included pastors, spouses, and adult children of  
pastors from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The sample size of the reviewed study was 39 people, while  
the sample size of the current study was 273. Pastors, pastor's spouses, and adult children of pastors in the  
Seventh-day Adventist Church participated in a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups for this study.  
Jones (2020) claims that most pastors are men, and that their wives often work alongside them in the church as  
unpaid volunteers. Even if the spouses don't experience any actual pressure from the ministry or the  
congregation, they nonetheless perceive that they must live up to certain expectations because of their  
positions. Wives discuss their private feelings about the role of a pastor's spouse in the church. Nonetheless, it  
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has been discovered that contentment with compensation ultimately contributes significantly to total job  
satisfaction for a variety of jobs. Compensation is not the most important factor in clerical job happiness, but  
the negative effects of poor compensation are commonly overlooked in the religious and professional sectors.  
The numerous obligations and, at times, excessive expectations placed on clergy wives are another source of  
stress for these families. Unrealistic expectations and demands have been shown to have a detrimental effect  
on the mental health, happiness, and family life of clergy members (Jones, 2020).  
Informational support is highlighted by Okoli, Ezeme, and Ofojebe (2019) as a factor that boosts confidence  
and helps people deal with life's challenges by pooling their knowledge and expertise. Njeri (2019) confirms  
this in his research on marital satisfaction in Murang'a, Kenya, highlighting the importance of community  
information assistance in providing understanding and abilities to couples to aid them in making decisions and  
resolving conflicts.  
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK  
The Family Stress Theory (also known as the ABCX model; McCubbin & Patterson, 1983) is a paradigm for  
studying the effects of stress on families. Reuben Hill created it in 1949, and since then it has been improved  
and fine-tuned by many other academics (Robinson, 2017). Smith (2021) explains how to make sense of the  
ABC-X model's parts as follows: The letter A stands for a wide range of factors, including personal traits,  
family dynamics, and environmental pressures. The letter B stands for backing and assistance. The letter C  
concludes our alphabetic tour with family conflicts and their facilitation. In theory, X is the result of these  
three components coming into contact with one another. Depending on the help and resources at hand, the  
result could be good or bad. Robinson (2017) suggests that families, with the right set of circumstances and  
available resources, might mitigate the harmful effects of stressors on people' well-being and functioning.  
According to the family stress hypothesis, having friends and family around can lessen the effects of stress on  
a marriage. The concept is crucial to the current investigation since it emphasizes the importance of both  
external resources (such as friends and family) and internal resources (such as one's own sense of pride, values,  
and beliefs).  
The double ABC-X model incorporates a key understanding of family functioning: in times of crisis, concrete  
behaviors inside a family are the only way to address intangible elements like available resources and  
perceptions (Robinson, 2017). This means that even families that have the knowledge and perspective they  
need to adapt to a crisis or cope with a stressor may fail to do so if they do not put that knowledge and  
perspective into action. The approach connects two distinct areas of thought by highlighting the mutual  
influence of material means, sensory input, and behavioral outcomes. The double ABC-X model's post-crisis  
part considers not just how a family learns to cope with a catastrophe, but also how that learning leads to long-  
term adaptation. Families are better able to weather a storm if they have access to and make use of the  
appropriate resources and perspectives. Adjustment is the process of making temporary changes in reaction to  
a new scenario, while adaptation is the process of making permanent changes within a family in response to a  
crisis situation (Daneshpour, 2017). However, a crisis (X) develops when the family is unable to strike a  
healthy balance between needs and resources without adjusting its structure and interaction patterns. To  
recover from a traumatic event, families need to adopt novel coping mechanisms, such as reorganizing and  
regrouping (consolidating and restructuring) as they develop new rules, patterns of communication, and roles.  
The concept of boundary ambiguity has emerged as a useful tool for comprehending the reasons why even  
healthy families occasionally struggle with this.  
At its core, family stress theory rests on the idea that families aren't helpless in the face of adversity, but rather  
that they can thrive by drawing on available resources and finding value in their experiences (Robinson, 2017).  
According to family stress theory, all families are subject to recurrent, short-term stresses. Personal and family  
crises, such as physical, emotional, or relational trauma, can result when these stressors accumulate over time  
or when the individual or family does not have the support of significant relationships (Daneshpour, 2017).  
Examples of family crises include divorce, illness due to compromised immune systems, accidents, child  
abuse/neglect, and acts of domestic violence.  
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The idea highlights the effects of unpredictable actions and the absence of regular patterns of behavior, which  
are mitigated by buffering elements like beliefs and interpersonal connections. These supportive elements aid  
in coping, allowing clergy and their partners to continue to take pleasure in their marriage despite the many  
pressures they face (Smith, 2021).  
METHODOLOGY  
This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample size of 273  
protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a simple random sampling technique for quantitative, and 12  
participants who were purposefully selected for qualitative, low and high performance on levels of marital  
satisfaction. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS) and the Scales of Perceived Social Support were  
used to collect quantitative data, with the former having a reliability coefficient of 0.834 and the latter of  
0.954, respectively. To better understand how protestant clergy and their partners are handling difficulties in  
their marriage, we conducted in-depth one-on-one interviews with them, using a set of predetermined  
questions to lead the conversation. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and thematic analysis were used  
to examine the data.  
RESULTS  
The objective of the research was to examine how communication patterns within couples affected their level  
of happiness in their marriages. Table 1 displays the results.  
Table 1 Informational Support and Marital Satisfaction  
Correlations  
Overall Marital Informational  
Satisfaction  
Support  
-.470**  
.000  
Overall Marital Satisfaction  
Informational Support  
Pearson Correlation  
Sig. (2-tailed)  
N
1
252  
224  
Pearson Correlation  
Sig. (2-tailed)  
N
-.470**  
.000  
224  
1
237  
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).  
Informational support was found to have a weak, negative, and statistically significant connection with marital  
satisfaction (r=-.470; p0.05). This suggests that the dynamics of providing and receiving information have an  
adverse effect on marital happiness. The results showed that the general marital satisfaction of protestant  
clergy and their spouses fell as informational support increased. There is a possible that misunderstandings are  
to blame for the lower rates of marital happiness among the Protestant clergy and their partners.  
Unintentional distortion due to lack of information, such as incompetence of the communicator of the  
information, uncertainties, or difficulties in interpersonal contacts, may account for the weak, negative, and  
significant relationship between information support and marital satisfaction. Particularly unprofessional  
conduct on the part of the information-bearer. For example, participants' low levels of marital happiness may  
be attributable to their lack of knowledge and experience. There is also possible that the sender's message was  
misunderstood.  
Bolo (2017) found that communication in the conflict did not have a statistically significant effect on marital  
satisfaction among Christian couples, while daily and regular communication and open and honest expression  
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of thoughts and feelings had a moderate positive significant effect. Furthermore, previous research suggests  
that when assisting couples in coping with stressors, it is important to include available resources at multiple  
environmental levels, including personal, relational, and social network resources, and to consider whether  
social-cultural backgrounds may have influenced the effectiveness of a particular resource (Li et al., 2021).  
According to Pitts's research (2023), not having someone in your life in whom you can confide can make any  
existing mental health problems or feelings of loneliness much worse. Individuals may experience greater  
stress if they lack a social network and supportive friends and family. More evidence was presented by Okoli,  
Ezeme, and Ofojebe (2019) on the value of informational assistance as a factor that boosts confidence and  
equips people to deal with life's challenges by pooling their knowledge and expertise. Njeri's (2019) research  
highlights the importance of community information support in providing knowledge and skills to couples in  
improving their decision-making, problem-solving, and marital satisfaction.  
Clerics and their spouses would benefit from seminars and workshops designed to address the unique issues  
they face in terms of perceived social support and marital satisfaction, according to the survey's respondents. A  
sense of self-worth and a tool for coping with life's challenges can be gained through the exchange of  
information, as stated by Okoli, Ezeme, and Ofojebe (2019). According to Lee, Kim, Cheon, and Kim (2023),  
this data-driven guidance makes it possible to better cater interventions to the unique needs of each client. As a  
result, this may serve as a more helpful guide for married people looking to make changes.  
The study's authors, Alipour, Kazemi, Kheirabadi, and Eslami (2020), found that training programs that  
emphasize the needs of married clerics and their spouses and that emphasize communication skills training  
through seminars and workshops can boost marital satisfaction and psychological well-being. Pitts (2023)  
found that providing clergy and their spouses with psychoeducation about healthy coping skills could reduce  
the likelihood that they will experience burnout or stress. It is possible that the members of the protestant  
clergy and their wives could benefit from this peer program because of its emphasis on education and the  
promotion of physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational wellness and guidance.  
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS  
Summary  
The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of informational support on marital satisfaction  
experienced by protestant clergy and their partners in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi County, Kenya  
clergy and their partners in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi County.  
An overview of the problems faced by protestant clergy and their spouses in regards to informational support  
and marital satisfaction was presented in the first chapter of the study. In recent years, there has been a rise in  
incidents of domestic violence in which spouses assault each other, their children, and other family members.  
There has been a rise in the prevalence of a wide range of marital problems, including but not limited to:  
separation, divorce, suicide, homicide, and even the murder of one's own children. The authors of this study  
shed light on the complex relationship between clergy and their partner’s levels of psychological distress,  
social support, and marital satisfaction. The research aimed to teach psychologists working in counselling  
settings how to better understand the unique challenges faced by protestant clergy couples and how to help  
them work through their differences in order to strengthen their marriages. The protestant clergy and their  
partners also benefit from learning effective communication and conflict resolution skills.  
The research also may help dispel the myth that protestant clergy and their spouses have it all together and do  
not require any help from the rest of society. Their views of the church and their families improves as a result  
of this research. The church and society as a whole gain insight into how to best aid clergy families so that  
they can go about the business of raising happy, healthy children despite economic hardship. This research  
provides more evidence that people of all classes and backgrounds need to look out for one another.  
In addition, the results give the general population a chance to reflect on their own views and opinions of  
those in authority, including the clergy and their families. In the long run, this will help people see clergy as  
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regular people who, like everyone else, struggle in their marriages. The second chapter provided a critical  
analysis of the underlying theories that informed the study. The literature was also analyzed from a worldwide,  
regional, and local vantage point. This was done in a methodical fashion, with empirical research being  
evaluated and research gaps being found based on the questions being asked. The conceptual framework was  
effectively presented to metaphorically show how the many factors interact with one another. The third chapter  
included a detailed account of the methodology and procedures employed throughout the research itself, which  
served to answer the study's primary questions and achieve its stated goals. The research site, population of  
interest, sample size, sampling techniques, and instruments used to collect data, instruments' validity and  
reliability, piloting and instrument reliability, data collection procedures, data analysis techniques, and ethical  
considerations were all covered in detail.  
The research results were provided in the fourth chapter. Using quantitative methods, data from 273  
participants was collected, analyzed, and interpreted to answer the study's core issues. Means, standard  
deviations, analyses of variance (ANOVA), and correlations were used to draw conclusions on the relationship  
between perceived social support and marital satisfaction. The compiled information was displayed in tables.  
Chapter five presents an overview of the study's main findings. The final verdict on the problems investigated  
is presented. The research was utilized to provide perceived social support and marital satisfaction of  
protestant clergy and their spouses. At last, the researcher offers suggestions for where the field could go from  
here.  
This research found that the protestant clergy and their spouses in Dagoretti South Sub-County, Nairobi  
County, Kenya had stronger informational support than the general population. Weak negative and statistically  
significant associations were discovered between information support and marital happiness. The results  
showed that the general marital satisfaction of protestant clergy and their spouses fell as informational support  
increased. Unintentional distortion due to a lack of information, such as inability of the communicator of the  
information, uncertainties, or difficulties in interpersonal contacts, may account for the weak, negative, and  
statistically significant relationship between information support and marital satisfaction.  
CONCLUSION  
This study set out to learn more about information support and marital satisfaction among the protestant clergy  
and their spouses in Dagoretti South Sub-county, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study found a modest, negative,  
and statistically significant association with marital satisfaction among protestant clergy and their partners.  
Based on the research findings, a method is given not just to boost marriage tie and commitment, but more  
importantly, the quality of life for protestant clergy couples and families, by identifying which factors seem to  
increase marital satisfaction levels.  
RECOMMENDATIONS  
The study further recommends that, there should be seminars and workshops specifically for the protestant  
clergy and their spouses. Since if there are seminars and workshops in the church, the protestant clergy and  
their spouses are usually the ones who normally moderate those training, there is need for seminars and  
workshop which are purely for them to address their marital challenges.  
This study recommends that all the stakeholders including the government, clergy leadership and counseling  
psychologists to immediately start conducting advocacy awareness on the importance of the protestant clergy  
and their spouses to acquire higher levels of education. This is because the findings of this study indicated that  
those protestant clergies and their spouses who had higher education levels reported higher satisfaction in their  
marital relationships.  
The study also recommends that policymaker’s plan and strategize to engage counselling psychologists with  
the intent to deal with specific issues that married couples present. It is high time for the government to stop  
being reactive to issues pertaining marriage and family and engage the mental health professionals on the best  
prevention intervention for marriage and family in general.  
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