A renowned UK-based Nigerian researcher, Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu has achieved a significant milestone in global mental health research by introducing a novel framework for understanding emotional resilience and self-comforting behaviours.
His latest work is encapsulated in the Self-Comforting Attitude Theory (SCAT) and its corresponding measurement tool, the Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS).
The findings were published in the Mental Health & Prevention journal, Vol. 38, a high-impact publication indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.
The study, titled “Theory and Psychometric Development of a Survey to Measure Attitudes Towards Self-Comforting Behaviours: The Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS),” complements his earlier acclaimed work—the Self-Comforting and Coping Theory (SCCT) and the Self-Comforting and Coping Scale (SCCS).
In an interview on Saturday in Lokoja, Obohwemu explained that together, these theories and scales form a comprehensive model that assesses both the practice and perception of self-comforting.
Self-comforting refers to internal strategies used to manage emotional distress. These can include activities such as listening to music, sleeping, exercising, or—less desirably—drinking or smoking. Such actions are typically aimed at reducing anxiety, stress, or emotional pain.
According to Obohwemu, his research offers a deeper understanding of emotional regulation and psychological resilience.
“Both studies were submitted for peer review around the same time,” he said. “They were formally published under Elsevier’s stable of journals, indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.”
He noted that the research explores the attitudes and beliefs that influence a person’s willingness to engage in self-comforting behaviours, such as mindfulness and emotional self-talk.
The development has been welcomed by mental health professionals, educators, and researchers as a timely and culturally adaptable framework for understanding emotional wellness.
Describing SCAT and SCAS as “ground-breaking,” Obohwemu said they provide an innovative framework for measuring how individuals perceive and evaluate self-comforting behaviours.
A lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and GBS Partnership, Birmingham, UK, Obohwemu said the research was inspired by his personal reflections during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“It emphasises the importance of internal resources in managing emotional distress,” he explained. “In moments of crisis, people often rely on internal strategies to stay emotionally afloat.
“But whether or not they engage in those strategies depends largely on how they perceive them—whether they view self-comforting as weak or wise, indulgent or essential.
“That is the focus of SCAT and SCAS, which are set to transform emotional wellness,” he added.
Obohwemu said the publication of SCAT and SCAS completes a four-part conceptual framework, known collectively as the Self-Comforting Framework.
According to him, this comprehensive model provides researchers and clinicians with robust tools to evaluate both the actions and attitudes that underpin emotional resilience.
