THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF NEWLY WEDDED WIVES IN OYO TOWN

EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF COMPOUND WIVES TRAINING AND AGE

Abstract

The psychological wellbeing of wives is a critical area of study due to its profound impact on family dynamics and overall societal health. While substantial research has been conducted on psychological wellbeing in general, there remains a significant gap in the understanding of how traditional practices, specifically compound wives training, affect the psychological wellbeing of newly wedded wives. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of compound wives training (olobinrin ile) on the psychological well-being of newly wedded wives in Oyo Town, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design of ex post facto type, the research targeted educated women married for no more than three years. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 200 participants from various religious organizations, with 197 valid responses obtained. Data was collected using an adapted version of Ryff's Psychological Wellbeing Scale (2014) and a self-developed scale assessing participation in compound wives training, yielding a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.73. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between olobinrin ile training and psychological wellbeing (r = .652, p < .05). The combined effect of the training and participants' age accounted for 45.1% of the variance in psychological wellbeing (R-square = 0.451, F(2, 197) = 80.791, p < 0.05). Women who participated in the training showed lower mean psychological wellbeing scores (M = 69.1370, SD = 5.31164) compared to non-participants (M = 72.2536, SD = 8.06078), with the difference being statistically significant (t = -3.170, p < .001). Integrating modern counseling techniques with traditional practices to enhance the positive aspects of olobinrin ile training while addressing potential negative impacts is important.