Psychological Effects of Gender Role Reversal among Married Men and Women in Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

Gender role reversal among spouses has become increasingly prevalent in both the developed and developing world, yet not much is known about its psychological effects on men and women in marriage especially in the developed and developing world. This study thus sought to establish the psychological effects of gender role reversal limiting itself to symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among men and women in Nyeri County, Kenya. The target population were married Kikuyu men and women. Multi-stage sampling was used to select a sample of 392 participants constituted of 200 women and 192 men. Data was collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Results showed that 28% had symptoms of depression, 32% had symptoms of anxiety and 36% had symptoms of stress. The results extend our understanding of the psychological effects of the increasing prevalence of gender role reversal in marriage and recommend appropriate interventions to be put in place to mitigate the psychological effects.