The Prevalence and Association Between Work -place Stress and Anxiety, Depression and Substance Use Among Human Resources Managers in Various Sectors in Nairobi Metropolitan, Kenya

Tazminin Alibhai, Psy.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology; Michelle Karume, Ph.D; & Stella Nyagwencha, Ph.D., United States International University – Africa.

Abstract

The present study investigated the prevalence and association between work-related stress, anxiety, depression and substance use across a section of human resources directors, managers, assistant managers and supervisors in Nairobi Metropolis, Kenya. Analytical cross-sectional design was used for the study, where the sampling technique was purposive. Data was collected from 201 participants. Participants were invited via email invitation and on the social media platform LinkedIn. The Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) was used to assess stress, Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for anxiety, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for depression and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) for substance use. Findings from the study showed that stress scores were strongly positively correlated with anxiety scores, r (199) = .584, p < .001, followed by depression scores, r (199) =.578, p < .001, and alcohol use scores, r (199) = .178, p < .001 respectively, and lastly least positively correlated with sedatives scores, r (199) = .157, p < .001. The output of the binary logistic regression analysis found that depression scores were positive and significant (b= .192, se=.068, p=.005) correlates of the stress levels in participants of the current study. This study contributes to literature on workplace stress by raising awareness on mental wellness in the workplace and to promote mental wellbeing among organizations in Kenya.

Keywords: Workplace, stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, managers, Kenya