Nigerian Researcher Develops Groundbreaking Framework for Emotional Resilience

Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu, a UK-based Nigerian scholar, has made a major breakthrough in global mental health research with the introduction of a comprehensive framework for understanding emotional resilience and self-comforting behaviours.

At the heart of his research is the newly developed Self-Comforting Attitude Theory (SCAT) and its accompanying tool, the Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS). These innovations were detailed in his recent peer-reviewed study titled “Theory and Psychometric Development of a Survey to Measure Attitudes Towards Self-Comforting Behaviours: The Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS),” published in the Mental Health Prevention journal (Vol. 38), a high-impact Elsevier publication indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.

This latest study complements Dr. Obohwemu’s earlier work on the Self-Comforting and Coping Theory (SCCT) and the Self-Comforting and Coping Scale (SCCS). Together, these tools create a robust, four-part conceptual model called the Self-Comforting Framework, designed to assess both the behaviors and perceptions linked to emotional resilience.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, Dr. Obohwemu explained that self-comforting refers to the internal strategies people use to manage emotional distress. These strategies may include listening to music, exercising, sleeping, or even habits like drinking or smoking—activities intended to alleviate stress, anxiety, or emotional pain.

“What my research brings to the table,” he noted, “is a deeper understanding of how people perceive these coping behaviors. Do they see them as signs of weakness or as wise emotional self-management?”

Dr. Obohwemu, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and GBS Partnership in Birmingham, UK, shared that his inspiration stemmed from personal reflections during the COVID-19 lockdowns. “In times of crisis, people often turn inward for strength. But whether they embrace or avoid those internal coping strategies largely depends on how they interpret them,” he said.

Mental health experts, educators, and researchers have praised the SCAT and SCAS tools for their innovation and cultural adaptability. By exploring both the practice and perception of self-comforting behaviors—including mindfulness and emotional self-talk—Dr. Obohwemu’s framework offers new pathways for evaluating emotional regulation and psychological strength.

With the publication of SCAT and SCAS, Dr. Obohwemu has completed a full framework that empowers researchers and clinicians to better understand and support emotional well-being.