The stigma of handling dead bodies and the psychological well-being of mortuary workers

Abstract

This study investigated how the perceived stigma of handling dead bodies impacted the psychological well-being of mortuary workers. Many studies indicate that the psychological well-being of morgue workers is affected by the reactions of the community to the work that they do. Social stigma theory was used to inform the study while correlational design was employed to determine the relationship between perceived stigma and psychological distress of mortuary workers in Nairobi County. The study adopted the Kessler Wellness Scale (K-1O), Everyday Discrimination Scale and an individual interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic data, while Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used to make inferences from the collected data. Study findings indicated 46.7% received worse service when they revealed their profession while 29.7% believed that others treated them as inferiors, and thus positioned themselves above them. In addition, 57.5% of the funeral directors mentioned that they had been insulted but did not specify when or by whom the insults were made. Furthermore, Kessler Scale results showed that a large number of employees experienced mental health problems where 43.5% expressed feeling depressed while 67.4% had anxiety. The results established a Pearson correlation coefficient of r=0.37, and a multiple correlation coefficient (R value) of 0.675, indicating a moderate positive correlation between stigma and psychological distress. The study recommended that working in morgues exposed the workers to psychological distress and efforts should be made to enhance their psychological wellbeing especially by providing support systems.