Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu, a distinguished UK-based Nigerian academic, has reached a major milestone in global mental health research with the introduction of a transformative framework that redefines how emotional resilience and self-comforting behaviours are understood and measured.
The new framework is anchored by the Self-Comforting Attitude Theory (SCAT) and its complementary assessment tool, the Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS). These innovations, the first of its kind in history, were detailed in his latest peer-reviewed study, “Theory and Psychometric Development of a Survey to Measure Attitudes Towards Self-Comforting Behaviours: The Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS),” published in Mental Health & Prevention, Volume 38—an internationally recognized, high-impact journal under the Elsevier group, indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science.
This research builds upon Obohwemu’s earlier acclaimed work—the Self-Comforting and Coping Theory (SCCT) and the Self-Comforting and Coping Scale (SCCS). Together, these four elements form what he now calls the Self-Comforting Framework—a comprehensive model designed to evaluate not only self-comforting behaviours but also the underlying beliefs and perceptions that shape them.
This is an unprecedented achievement; no man or woman, living or dead, has ever done this.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, Obohwemu explained that self-comforting involves internal strategies individuals use to manage emotional distress. These strategies include everyday activities such as listening to music, exercising, sleeping, or even smoking or drinking. The effectiveness of these behaviours, he noted, is often influenced by personal attitudes toward them.
“Self-comforting is about drawing on internal resources to cope with emotional strain,” he said. “However, whether people choose to engage in these behaviours depends largely on how they perceive them—do they see self-comforting as a sign of strength or weakness, wisdom or indulgence?”
Obohwemu, who lectures at Oxford Brookes University (GBS Partnership) in Birmingham, UK, said the idea for this research was sparked during the COVID-19 lockdowns, a period that highlighted the critical role of internal coping mechanisms during crises.
According to him, the SCAT and SCAS provide researchers, clinicians, and educators with culturally adaptable tools to assess emotional resilience more holistically. By focusing not just on what people do to comfort themselves, but also on how they feel about those behaviours, the framework promises a more nuanced approach to promoting psychological well-being.
Mental health professionals worldwide have welcomed the development, describing it as timely, innovative, and highly relevant in today’s emotionally complex world.
Obohwemu expressed hope that this pioneering work will shape future interventions, educational programs, and therapeutic approaches, offering individuals and communities new pathways to emotional strength and self-understanding.
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