Parental Warmth and Psychological Wellbeing of Senior School Students in Turbo SubCounty, Kenya: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study

Author: Collins Kibet Kiptugen, Betty J. Chewen, Lucy Kibet

Date: 2026

Abstract: Adolescent mental health is a growing concern in Kenya, yet little is known about how specific parenting behaviours shape the psychological wellbeing of students in rural settings. This study examined the influence of parental warmth on the psychological wellbeing of senior school students in Turbo Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Guided by Baumrind's parenting styles theory, Attachment Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design that combined an ex-post facto quantitative strand with a phenomenological qualitative strand. Questionnaire data were obtained from 132 students selected through stratified random sampling, while qualitative data were gathered through semistructured interviews with parents/guardians, teachers, guidance and counselling personnel and school counsellors, and six focus group discussions with students. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression in SPSS version 27; qualitative data were analysed thematically in NVivo. Students reported high levels of parental warmth (overall M = 4.03 on a 5-point scale), although responsiveness to feelings (M = 3.54) and praise (M = 3.65) were rated lowest. Parental warmth was strongly and positively correlated with psychological wellbeing (r = .618, p < .001), accounting for 38.2% of its variance, and it was the strongest unique predictor when parental control, parent-child communication and monitoring were controlled (β = .358, t = 6.789, p < .001). Four themes emerged: warmth expressed through provision, variable emotional availability, culturally shaped expression of affection, and the protective role of warmth. The null hypothesis was rejected. The study recommends parenting programmes that help caregivers translate instrumental care into verbal affirmation, attentive listening and praise.

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