The Relationship Between Assumed Family Responsibilities and Psycho-Spiritual Well-Being among Selected Female Religious of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Nigeria

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between assumed family responsibilities and psycho-spiritual well-being among selected female religious in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Nigeria. Guided by Role Conflict Theory and Psycho-Spiritual Theory, the study had two objectives: to determine the relationship between assumed family responsibilities and psycho-spiritual well-being, and to identify strategies for enhancing psycho-spiritual well-being. The study employed an embedded mixed-methods research design, which enabled the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The instruments used were the adapted Role Conflict and Ambiguity Scale and the Psycho-Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Six self-developed semi-structured interview questions were used for the qualitative strand. Data collection was conducted online. The target population comprised 352 female religious, from which a sample size of 187 was determined for the quantitative strand using proportionate stratified sampling. A total of 132 respondents participated in the quantitative strand, while 10 participants were purposively selected for the qualitative strand. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between assumed family responsibilities and psycho-spiritual well-being, while in-depth interviews were conducted for the qualitative strand. The findings revealed a weak positive, non-statistically significant relationship between assumed family responsibilities and psycho-spiritual well-being among the respondents, indicating that the findings failed to detect a statistically significant relationship between the variables in the sample (r = .075, p = .395). The qualitative data were thematically analysed, and the study found that participants used prayer, spiritual practices, healthy community living and support, family enlightenment, integration of apostolate and religious life, and self-care as strategies to enhance psycho-spiritual well-being. The study recommends that congregational superiors and leadership teams establish clear family welfare policies, strengthen emotional and financial support systems, teach boundary-setting in formation, create safe forums for sharing, and provide regular psycho-spiritual workshops for ongoing growth.

Assumed family responsibilities, female religious, psycho-spiritual well-being, Nigeria.

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