Psychological Therapies for Avoidant Personality Disorder Traits Resulting from Social Media Interaction among University Students in Nairobi City County, Kenya

This study sought to explore available psychological therapies for effective handling of avoidant personality disorder traits resulting from use of social media interaction among students within selected universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. To achieve this objective, the study interrogated the association between levels of social media interaction and avoidant personality disorder. The independent variable for this study was social media interaction measured using scale items based on extent, intensity, and patterns of interaction. The dependent variable, levels of AVPD traits, was measured on an adapted self-rating 7-item Scale. The target population was 237305 students in sampled universities in Nairobi City County. The study generated a sample size of 368 third-year students and further adopted proportionate, stratified, and random sampling to select respondents to participate in the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to choose 9 university counsellors who served as informants for this study. Descriptive statistics used in this study included measures of frequency, percentage and the mean to summarize and describe data sets. From the data collected, the study established evidence of high levels of social media interaction among university students. The study further found evidence of varying levels of avoidant personality disorder features. Using the Pearson Correlation coefficient, the study recorded a statistically significant association between social media interaction and levels of avoidant personality disorder traits, r(324) = .586, p < .05 and r(324) = .529, p < .05 respectively. The study recommends that universities incorporate psychological therapies aimed at handling cases of social media-induced avoidance personality disorder traits.

Psychological therapies, Avoidant personality disorder, social media interaction, University students, Nairobi City County

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