Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu Breaks New Ground in Mental Health Research

UK-based Nigerian researcher, Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu, has made a major breakthrough in mental health with his new theory on emotional resilience and self-comfort.

His latest work introduces the Self-Comforting Attitude Theory (SCAT) and the Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS), tools designed to understand how people perceive and practice self-comforting behaviors—like listening to music, sleeping, exercising, or even smoking and drinking—especially during emotional distress.

The research, published in Mental Health Prevention (Vol. 38), builds on his earlier work: the Self-Comforting and Coping Theory (SCCT) and the Self-Comforting and Coping Scale (SCCS). Together, they form a complete model for measuring both the use and perception of self-comforting strategies.

He explained that people’s willingness to use these strategies often depends on how they view them—whether as signs of weakness or wisdom. His research highlights the importance of internal coping methods, especially during crises like the COVID-19 lockdowns, which inspired the study.

Mental health experts and educators have praised the work for being innovative, practical, and culturally adaptable. Now a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University’s GBS Partnership in Birmingham, Obohwemu says this research offers a fresh, much-needed lens on emotional well being.